


The Mechanics of Magic

by LiaLox



Series: Symbol of a Treaty [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Comedy/Drama, Definitely implied though, Fluff, I Don't Even Know, I'm Sorry, M/M, MT!Prompto, Magitek!Prompto, No Smut, None of that angst and suffering that usually comes with those tags, Ok maybe theres a lil suffering, Promptis - Freeform, it will always remain fluffy tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-09-17 17:19:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9334958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiaLox/pseuds/LiaLox
Summary: AU where the peace treaty happened when Noct was 15 and he was given a special sort of MT created by Niflheim as a present to commemorate that joyous day.Prompto is designed to be controllable through an App. With a push of a button, he falls asleep. A swipe can control how much love/hatred or happiness/sadness he's feeling, etc. They grow up together like this, and 5 years later, the road trip is very, very different. This time, there’s more stupid stuff to get them into trouble.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on my desire for an MT!Prompto AU with little to no angst. Tricky. It’s a story about a sex doll, but there’s no sex involved but I still wanted it to be racy. Trickier. I can’t write smut, okay? I might imply it, but I swear it’s safe in that sense. What is this story, even. Hope you enjoy.

“How is he a present, Dad?” A 15-year-old Prince Noctis poked at the blonde boy his age sleeping a little too soundly on one of the ornate chairs of his room. Instead of the bowtie that should’ve complimented his black and white formal wear, a gift ribbon adorned the base of his collar. His skin was pale and flawless; it seemed as though he’d never seen the light of day.

“Each country has different values, Noctis,” King Regis began. “Niflheim has far more… freedom when concerning human rights. To bring such a gift in honour of the peace treaty is no doubt a test. If we don’t accept, it is the same as saying we don’t accept their values. To decline may very well imply that Lucis declines the treaty.” 

“Sounds hardcore,” Noctis noted. His poking never stopped, but the boy didn’t even so much as stir. 

“The imperials certainly are,” King Regis sighed. “This gift was presented to you. Take good care of him, lest war break out once more.”

“Right…” Noctis sighed too, as his father left. Might as well get this over with.

He booted up the app on the phone, and was instantly greeted with a tiny pixelated… Ardyn Izunia? Why is the chancellor of Niflheim on this thing? 

> _Hellooooo! Thank you for purchasing model_ _0H4P-66X5!_
> 
> _Would you like to give your unit a name?_
> 
> _Yes   --   No_

Noctis clicked “No”. He was just gonna ask the sunshine-deprived looking kid when he figures out how to wake him. 

> _Would you like to read the instruction manual on the uses of model 0H4P-66X5?_
> 
> _Yes   --   No_

No. Who reads the instructions?   

> _Would you like to change application settings, such as colour, text size, theme and--_

 Godammit, NO already.

> _Excellent! I hope you enjoy model 0H4P-66X5. Ta-ta!_

 Pixelated Izunia did a wave, then a bow and disappeared. The screen was replaced with a myriad of buttons and dials. Noctis instantly eyed the one that said “wake/sleep”. With a quick circular motion of his thumb the arrow on the dial was set from “sleep” to “wake”.

The boy flinched hard enough to wake himself up. Truthfully, Noctis flinched at the sudden motion too, but weird-gift-boy didn’t seem to notice as he looked around in awe of the room. Every corner of it was intricate, yet clean and modern. Suited for a modern day Prince. 

“Are… are you my new owner? Uh… sir.” When Noctis didn’t reply, the boy found the answer on the screen of the phone. “Y-you must be Prince Noctis. It’s a pleasure to be of service… y-your highness.” 

He did a quick bow from his seat.

“Ugh, don’t you start on the Highness-ing too,” Noctis groaned. “What’s your name?”

The boy hesitated. “0H4P-66X5. X5 for short.”

“That’s not a name,” Noctis grumbled. “I’m not going to call you by a number.”

“Then,” He seemed visibly relieved by this news, and grinned. “Call me Prompto.” 

“Okay then, Prompto,” Noctis began. “What exactly am I supposed to do with you? Why did the empire give you to me?”

Prompto just shrugged. “You can do anything you want with me. But if you’re into… certain stuff, can you please turn down my pain receptors? I freak out easy as it is. And as for your second question, I dunno.”

“Into certain stuff?” Noctis made the mistake of asking.

"Rich people are into all sorts of weird thrills. A lot of them involve getting other people hurt. I… I think I was actually made to be um… a very elaborate sex doll,” Prompto looked away, his face beet red. “You can, um, use me like that if you, uh, want."

It’s a good thing Noctis declined the celebratory champagne that came with his gift, because he definitely would’ve spat it out. "Is that what _you_ want?" 

"Dude,” Prompto shook his head. “I just want to be friends."

 

 

* * *

 

 

It’s been 5 years since that day. Noctis and Prompto are now 20 years old, and the situation is still every bit as awkward as it was years ago. Prompto’s face was now lined with freckles from being in the sun too often. Noctis was just as disinterested with his political position as always. This time, he didn’t have being a kid as an excuse and had to skip out on diplomacy. Like it or not, he was supposed to exert independence and visit all the towns/cities in Lucis, much like what Lady Lunafreya was doing. 

“Look,” Noctis began matter-of-factly. “I’m supposed to do this as independently as I possibly can. Which means I can only bring one person with me, max.”

“Aww, do I have to?” Prompto kicked at the air, tummy down on one of Noct’s couches. “Why not get Iggy or Gladio to come with you? They’re better at this stuff.”

“Because an entire trip with either just Ignis or just Gladio will drive me up the wall. Ignis is a stick in the mud when it comes to this politics stuff and I can’t survive camping every night with Gladio,” Noctis finished the final touch ups of his outfit in front of the mirror. Pitch black; the colour of Lucian nobility. “So we’re going. Chop, chop, Prompto.” 

“If you really want me to go, then make me,” Prompto joked, tossing him a playful smile. That smile usually ends in a wrestling match when it was tossed to Gladio, but for Noct it was a wild card. It ranged from a round of King’s Knight, to tickle fights, to a full on spar with real weapons.

“Okay, let’s go,” Noctis decided, pulling out his phone. He tapped a few times, and Prompto slowly slumped to the cushions, nearly dropping the phone he had been playing with to the marble floors. Maybe he’ll get Gladio to move him to the car. Other guards here probably wouldn’t understand that he meant this as a joke and that no, he wasn’t actually forcing anyone against his will. Was he? He hasn’t touched these controls in months (the last time at Prompto’s request since he had trouble sleeping) and Prompto had definitely given him the _/I’m cool with this, but lemme give you a hard time/_ smile. It’s probably fine.

It was an abnormal sort of sleep. Unlike when Prompto slept naturally, there were no dreams, no mumblings, and definitely no drowsy snuggles. His head tilted with a perfectly even sort of breathing and a stillness only the dead could replicate. Unless Noctis changed the settings on the app, the blonde wouldn’t wake up under any circumstance. It was as though Prompto had just shut down.

 

 

First stop: Hammerhead. You could hardly call this a town; it was more like a pit stop between Insomnia and… well, any other place in Lucis, really. All it contained was a garage, an eatery and a few odd shops with its gas station. Noctis’ role here was to make pleasantries and, as the official documents claim, develop a personal understanding of the circumstances and perspectives of civilians from various locations. A good King needs to know his citizens, after all.

“Get up, Prompto,” Noctis finished fiddling with his phone and placed it in his pocket. “We’re here.” 

“…Hm…? Ah.” Prompto looked around confused for a moment, but his blue eyes lit up with realization. He stretched as he unbuckled himself from the passenger seat. “You totally just kidnapped me! I didn’t think you’d actually do that.”

“Oh really?” 

“S’cause you hate using your authority,” Prompto said simply, and Noctis knew that he was right. They hopped off the car. “Ever since we met five years ago, the sleeping button’s been the only one you’ve ever used. And you hardly ever use it.”

“Want me to make you have a nervous breakdown right now?” Noctis suggested, reaching for the controls that directly managed the other’s neurons.

“Oh Noct,” Prompto sighed dramatically. “My whole life is already one big nervous breakdown.”

“Is that Prince Noctis?” A woman from a distance whispered to her friend. It wasn’t discreet at all.

“Whoa, he’s brought that Niff sex toy with him!” A man nudged someone else’s shoulder. “Think they fuck in the car?”

Prompto let out a broken laugh at the mention of their accusations. Those words didn’t bother them anymore; they’ve heard it too often in the past several years. Doesn’t mean it’s any less embarrassing when every pair of judgmental eyes within a 50 meter radius were suddenly sent their way.

 _Astrals, I want to die_. Noctis thought, brushing his hands through his midnight hair. Life is hard when your best friend is a sex doll. Gods, did he seriously just _think_ those words out loud? Noctis groaned as at the sheer embarrassment of putting those words together in his head.

“They wouldn’t be rumours if we actually did that,” Prompto offered in an attempt to console him. His eyebrows wiggled. “How about it? Nocty wanna do the nasty-nasty?”

“What happened to _dude I just want to be friends_?” Noctis glared at him.

“ _Dude I just want to be friends_ still stands,” Prompto folded his arms triumphantly. “But seriously, bro. You don’t have to take me out of the Citadel if it’s going to bother you this much.”

“No, I want this,” Noctis replied. 

“You want to be bothered?” Prompto made a look as if he was making a mental note to himself.

“I meant, I want to hang out with my best friend,” Noctis corrected him. “What the hell are these people going to do about it? I’m the Prince of Lucis.”

 

 

“Do I get to eat today, Noct?” Prompto asked him pleadingly when they arrived at the next stop. A few glares were shot Prince Noctis’ way, mainly from mothers whose instincts screamed at them to protect this baby chocobo-like child.

By the Six, why does he have to word things so that people would misunderstand? Maybe bringing Ignis or Gladio would actually have been better, considering the amount of glares he’s gotten in a day have reached a new record. 

Eating is actually unhealthy for Prompto; in Niflheim he had been powered by artificial magic (Magitek, they called it?) but since the crown Prince could fully utilize magic naturally, there was no need for a magitek generator to power him up. It wasn’t that he would die if he ate too much; he’d just get fat and get a stomachache. It’s like watching those lactose intolerant people who love cheese, but worse.

The memory of when Noctis first found out about this fact was burned in his mind.

 

* * *

 

“Prompto? Prompto!!” Noctis rushed over when he saw the state the boy was in.

“Ahaha, looks like my Prince has arrived,” Prompto laughed, but it was weak, and his whole body was weak, and he slumped to the bed in a weak attempt to sit upright. He was the very definition of weak, crumpled to the floor.

“This is what happens when you don’t eat for days! Why didn’t you take anything the staff gave you?” Noctis demanded.

“Didn’t they give you an instruction manual or something?" Prompto closed his eyes. "I don’t eat. Dunno how…” 

“Wait, what? Why didn’t you just tell me! Who reads the instruction manual!?” Noctis tried to shake him, but it was clear that the other had already passed out from fatigue. “Prompto!!”

Noctis actually read an instruction manual that day. He cursed himself as he realized a very important component of the whole package was never left with him. Cursing even more, he placed a blue hand glowing with energy to Prompto’s chest. 

Prompto screamed, eyes blaring wide in panic.

“Calm down, calm down,” Noctis hushed him, slowing down the magic flow to nearly a halt. He held Prompto’s back for support, and the boy clutched at his shirt, breathing heavily. “Sorry this hurts. They never gave me a… a magitek generator? But my magic should work the same way. We’ll take it slow. Just relax, okay?”

Prompto could barely nod as he trembled. Not like he had a choice. They kept at it until the tension loosened from his grip and he was able to relax into Noctis’ arms. 

“Prompto? You okay?” Noctis asked with a hint of dread. Did he pass out from the pain?

“Mhmm,” Prompto hummed, burying his face this time into the other’s chest. Noctis could feel his shirt soak the remnants of tears from the earlier outburst. “I think I get it. I was so tensed up that I think I might’ve made it painful for myself to absorb the magic. It’s different from the usual. …Sorry for, uh, screaming.”

“Don’t be,” Noctis murmured, motioning through soothing circles around his back.

 

* * *

 And after that:

* * *

 

“This is how you eat.” Noctis picked up a silver knife in one hand and a silver fork in the other. He sliced the finely garnished piece of meat with ease and popped it into his mouth. After some exaggerated chewing, he swallowed.

“Um yeah, I know that much. But isn’t it weird to like, put a heated animal corpse in your mouth?” Prompto reeled back in disgust. “…Gross, is that supposed to be raw in the middle?”

“It’s called a steak, Prompto,” Noctis explained. “Why don’t you try the dessert, then?”

“…Are you sure this won’t get stuck in my throat? It smells good, but why does it look like poo?” After much hesitation, Prompto had taken a small slice of double chocolate cake and lifted a bite-sized portion to his face. His hands were clumsy and he held the fork awkwardly. It was bizarre to see a 15-year-old act like he’s never held utensils before… except it wasn’t an act, and this really was the first time he’s held a fork in his life.

“If you really don’t want to eat it, then don’t,” The Prince offered, finishing his meal. “But I mean it when I say you’ll enjoy it.”

Prompto just sighed, held his breath, and put the cake in his mouth. Noctis thought he’d never see an expression brighter than the one Prompto wore that day.

* * *

 

“You just want to hit up the Crow’s Nest, don’t you?” Noctis asked, shaking his head as if to shake the memory away.

“Yup!” Prompto beamed.

“Then no,” Noctis said firmly, and got a long, disappointed _awwwww_ as a reply. Sighing, Noctis dragged him into a corner, away from the public eye, and took him by the hands.

“What are you… wah!” Prompto gasped as he felt magic flow into him and envelop his whole being. He slumped towards the prince for support and let his magic consume his senses; it would only hurt if he resisted. He breathed in slowly. The sensation was almost pleasurable, but it always left him dizzy and a little weak in the knees.

Noctis knew that of course, and did it randomly sometimes just to mess with him. Maybe Prompto wasn’t aware of it, but there was just something about the way his whole body would relax against his own and his face would flush while his heart beat noticeably faster that Noctis… liked? He wasn’t sure. 

“ _Noct_ ,” Prompto whimpered, signaling for the other to stop. He tried to give the Prince’s hands a squeeze, but the effects of the magic flow forced him to stay limp. If this went on for too long, he’d be overclocked with magic, and his eyes would turn red. It was similar to how Noctis’ eyes would change colour when he called to the Astrals. Except in Prompto’s case, thinking became difficult.

“Figured you were hungry, err… tired. Whatever it is,” Noctis shrugged, stopping the flow of magic. Prompto allowed his butt to crash to the ground, and crossed his legs. He seriously needed to sit after that.

“Dude, you’re messing with me,” Prompto accused, after taking a moment to get himself together. “You know you don’t need to do that after I got Sworn into your magic!”

Noctis only grinned, holding out his hands to help him up. “Consider it a bit of payback.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompto has significantly less insecurities in this AU because his friends already know what he is and accepts him for it. (Bit of a spoiler for later chapters) He also didn’t have to grow up alone because he lived in the Citadel after being gifted to Noctis. Even though his room is in the servant’s quarters, he now belongs in the palace just as much as Ignis, Gladio and Noctis do. :’)

They did end up going to the Crow’s Nest. Not because of Prompto’s begging or his puppy dog eyes, but because Noctis genuinely needed to eat and small rest stops like these hardly had anything better to offer. He ordered a Crow Combo 1: A cheeseburger (with no lettuce, onion, pickles or tomato and light mustard), medium fries and a drink. He asked for an extra cup of water for Prompto, who was outside chasing butterflies and taking pictures of every random detail of the stop. 

Noctis had been presented every possible wonder of the world since the day he was born. Some blamed his impassive disposition on his upbringing, and maybe they were right. To him, it was incredible that anyone could get so excited with things that were so… normal. Looking through Prompto’s photographs was like viewing the world through his eyes; where everything was shiny and new. So when the blonde came back inside the diner and talked his ears off about every picture he’s taken so far, Noctis found that he didn’t mind. That passion rubbed off on him. 

“Hey Noct, did you change my... um, settings?” Prompto suddenly asked, sipping at his water. He kicked his feet a little from under the table, rocking the table with every swing.

“No?” Noctis put down his burger for a moment and took out his phone. “Does it seem like it?”

“Kinda, yeah. I feel like I’m on cloud nine! Ever since we got out of the city, everything just feels FANTASTIC!” Prompto exclaimed. Noctis thought he would fall out of his seat from how giddy he was acting. Other people in the diner stole secret glances at this crazy kid. “I’m all like: Bring it, world! Bring it all to _papa_!”

“Hm… well, nothing’s changed,” Noctis took a quick look at his phone then handed it to his best friend. He resumed to eating his meal. “I think you’re just excited to be out of the city for once. See for yourself.”

“Hmm… you’re right,” Prompto scrolled through the list of buttons, all of which were either set to _default_ or _auto_. He paused for a moment and blinked with curiosity before he placed a dainty tap on its surface. “Whoaaaah, that felt weird.”

Noctis sighed. Here we go. “What did you do this time?”

“I was curious, okay?” Prompto handed the phone back to him. “I never noticed before, but one of the buttons had that word Ignis is always using. Sultry. Do you know what that means? I always thought it was about the weather or something. How can I be sultry?”

Once again, if Noctis was having any sort of drink, he definitely would’ve spat it out. Good thing he was only eating a burger that he mildly choked on. This is why he doesn’t let Prompto near his phone. 

“Well, I definitely do feel warmer, I guess? And--” Prompto took a long look at Noctis, his cheeks getting a shade redder with every second, then quickly looked away. “…A-and, oh wow, um. This is awkward. Noct, can you please turn me back to normal?”

Noctis wordlessly tapped on the screen, and donned a knowing grin that could only mean _you did this to yourself_. The response was a mixture between a pout and a grimace that screamed _how was I supposed to know this would happen!?_

“Do you get what sultry means now?” You could practically hear the smile in Noctis’ words. He never cared much for those controls, but Prompto, who had a natural curiosity for anything and everything, ended up being the one to fiddle around with them the most. Now he shifted uncomfortably as he squirmed in his seat.

“…Yes,” Prompto replied disdainfully. Being very careful to avoid eye contact, he got up, and was ready to dash away before he even mentioned where he was going. His face was coloured a furious pink. “Uh, I gotta go to the washroom. B-R-B!” 

“Yeah, I bet you do…” Noct mumbled, trying not to think of exactly what Prompto would be doing in there and put his attention back to his burger.

 

 

 

“What’s it like?” Noctis asked, once they were back in the car. Prompto playing around with himself (and he didn’t mean it THAT way) wasn’t uncommon, but he had a hard time forgetting the incident at the diner. It dawned on him once again how weird and terrifying Niff technology was to be able to manipulate emotions and functions of a person so easily.

“What’s what like?” Prompto asked right back. He was busy fidgeting around, as usual. This time it was his hair he attempted to constantly fix. It didn’t do much considering it was a battle against the speeding winds of a top-down Regalia.

“Being what you are,” Noctis realized how offensive that sounded. “I mean you sleep, eat, breathe and bleed just like I do. Maybe not as often, but you’re human. But then… you can live just from being Sworn to me. And playing with those buttons earlier…”

“Can’t say. It’s not like I’ve been anything else but me,” Prompto laughed his question off before he could even finish. He gave up on his hair and leaned against the side of the vehicle, where the windows would’ve been. “How about you? What’s it like being able to use magic? And do the elemental thing with procurement points? Humans can’t do that stuff." 

When Noctis took too long to reply, Prompto answered for him with a poke to his cheek. “Yer a wizard, Noct~”

“Knock it off,” Noctis had to laugh a little and brushed his hand away. One of the reasons why Prompto was considered a bad influence on Noct was definitely because he introduced the Prince to memes.

“I wouldn’t sweat the small stuff,” Prompto said with his same calm and carefree attitude. “Okay, maybe it’s not that small. But like, let’s face it. Neither of us are exactly normal, we’re actually like, super O-P. Kids dream of being all shiny and magical and _pew-pew_ like we are.”

His finger guns pointed artistically into the air contrasted his words. “But even if we knew exactly how and why we’re different, nothing would change. So I try not to think about it.” 

“Yeah…” Noct trailed off and was about to add more but suddenly slammed the breaks. Prompto involuntarily careened forward, nearly slamming his head against the dashboard. This is why you wear seatbelts.

“Gah!! Dude, you almost killed me!” Prompto shot up from the almost-face-plant. “Why’d you… uh-oh!”

A herd of garula barricaded the roads, and the squealing of tires gained their attention in the worst way. It wasn’t long before the earth rumbled beneath their stampede; with a massive garulessa leading the charge.

“Noct, what should I do?” Prompto turned to the driver’s seat, but all that was left was a shimmering blue mirage of Noctis’ silhouette.

“Take care of the small fries!” 

Prompto turned to follow the voice called out from high above. He had to squint as the flash of the blade reflected the late afternoon sun. Noctis landed, dealing a decisive blow to one of the smaller garulas and finishing it off in a single hit. Prompto hopped out of the car and shot a monster approaching the Prince from behind.

“Lure them away from the Regalia, we’ll be done for if they break it!” Noctis yelled. He saw Prompto nod out of the corner of his eye and mouthed some words, but the words were lost to the sound of battle and mooing garulas. He warped next to his partner. “You’re crazy talented with this sort of thing, but watch your back.”

“And I’ll watch yours while I’m at it!” Prompto elbowed him with a wink. “I’ll show you pics later!” 

“As long as you get the job done,” Noctis snarled. He phased through an attack then warped away, leaving the blonde to fend for himself.

Maybe crazy talented wasn’t the right word for Prompto. Designed and made for battle was more like it. It’s easy to forget that he’s the definition of a killing machine when he just acts so consistently stupid. With the right amount of magic and weaponry, he could probably take all these monsters down on his own. Noctis always wondered how Prompto, who was usually a bit of a scaredy cat and would flinch when you so much as raise your voice, would dare to relax enough to take a picture in the heat of battle.

If the reason was the sheer confidence of getting out alive, Noctis would believe it. Especially considering how their first sparring session went... 

 

* * *

 

It was a good thing that Prompto was similar to Noctis in build. The latter had donned his new friend with his spare training armour. If he was going to go through hours of Gladio’s training, he’d rather not spend it getting his ass kicked every day by an overly buff teen like usual. Training was miserable enough as it is.

“Are you sure you want to spar with me?” Prompto’s brows furrowed with disapproval. Then, in his same innocent voice, filled only with concern, he added: “I’m going to _beat_ the _crap_ out of you.”

Noctis felt a vein pop. Gladio, who had reluctantly agreed to the Prince's idea, choked as he attempted to suppress a howl of laughter from the sidelines. 

“If you’re that confident then show me what you’ve got,” Noctis challenged him with a pissed off grin. He was damn ready the beat _the living shit_ out of this kid. “Choose your weapon.”

“Oooookayyyy, if you say so,” Prompto’s shoulders slumped as he gave in to the Prince’s wishes. It was clear he didn’t want to fight. “I’ll pick whatever you pick.” 

“Fine,” Noctis tossed him a practice sword equal to the one he wielded. “Gladio! Ref for us. The battle starts when the whistle is blown." 

“M’kay,” Prompto replied, taking a one-handed stance with the sword. Both Gladio’s and Noctis’ eyes perked in surprise when they realized that this was an actual textbook stance for swordplay. So maybe the kid wasn’t just all talk.

_Tweeeeet!!_

Before Noctis could even react, the practice sword was smashed out of his grip. By reflex, he turned to follow the motion of his lost weapon, but stopped the instant he felt an edge brush against his neck.

“You got distracted,” the wielder of the blade accused, voice crisp and monotone. Noctis could hardly recognize him. There was the slightest ring of vibrant red nestled in the depths of those blue eyes that he hadn’t noticed before. 

Prompto blinked a couple of times before he seemed to realize that the two of them were staring at him with mouths hung open in shock. That red light was gone, and he lowered his sword. “Um, did you wanna try again?”

“…Of course I do,” Noctis said after his defeat registered into his brain. He decided to get serious. If not, even more serious than he was before. “Like hell I’m gonna leave it at that.”

The whistle blew once more, but the results were the same. It took him four more tries until they had a decent spar, or at least one that wasn’t completely one sided the moment the battle started. Prompto attacked with terrifying efficiency; there wasn’t a single wasted movement, and every blow was dealt with calculating accuracy. It wasn’t long before Noctis was overpowered and sent to the ground.

Gladio whistled. He was both impressed and disappointed. “You got a long way to go, Noct. This scrawny kid could take you down any day.”

“You really think so!?” Prompto exclaimed. It was like he didn’t notice how he had essentially one hit KO’d Noctis in nearly every bout. The two exchanged high-five’s and were on the fast track to becoming good friends. 

“Was that the empire’s swordplay?” Gladio asked. “You’re gonna have to show me more of that sometime.”

“S-sure!” Prompto seemed excited to meet someone new. “Anytime you want!” 

It wasn't until Noctis flopped to the ground that the two turned their attention back to him.

“Uh, Noct?” He crouched down as the other writhed in pain. “Did you want me to lose? I totally get it if this was one of those _certain things_ rich people are into…”

“Don’t even go there,” Noctis laid himself bare in his starfish position on the floor.

“Sorry, bro,” Prompto reached out, hugging his knees with one hand and gently rubbed a sore spot on Noctis that would no doubt turn into a bruise by dinnertime. “I didn’t want to hurt you. You know, if you used magic, you would’ve won.”

“How are you so good at this?” Noctis ignored that last bit of attempted coddling and groaned. Pity did not help one bit. “Argh…”

“Dunno, instinct I guess? Didn’t you say you read the manual?” Prompto tilted his head. “I can function as a bodyguard too.”

Noctis rubbed his head. “That manual said you’ve only been tested with firearms.”

"Yeah, just a few guns but crammed with info on every common weapon out there," Prompto shrugged. "Y’know. For battlefield adaptability. In case I run out of bullets or something. This is actually my first time picking up a sword…”

“But this isn’t his first time getting his ass kicked,” Gladio finished for him, and Noctis shot him an icy glare. “What, you wanna do something about it, your Highness?”

“…Alright, I'll bite,” Noctis’ expression softened and lips perked up. “Same terms. We choose which weapons to use.”

“Challenge accepted,” Gladio grinned. Noctis was up to something, but he’d just have to find out what. “What’s it gonna be?”

“Prompto, I choose you!” Noctis laughed for the first time in all these years of training sessions with Gladio. 

“You can’t be serious,” Gladio grunted.

“Sorry big guy,” Prompto pulled Noctis up. “He’s hurt. And besides, _you_ took the challenge. No backsies!”

“Don’t go easy on him,” Noctis smiled smugly.

 

* * *

 

Gladio didn’t win a single round that day, either.

Noctis had to admit, he did remember reading something about Prompto’s combat abilities but never expected that level of mastery out of him back then. Holy shit. No wonder the empire managed to (nearly) take over the world. So if Prompto that naturally good at his function as a bodyguard, then was he this much of a natural when it comes to—

A garula’s charge interrupted his thoughts and rammed him from the side. Noctis was actually grateful.

Of course getting beaten by Prompto everyday changed the moment he perfected warp-strikes. Whatever algorithms and battle-simulations the empire drilled into Prompto definitely did not take into account an enemy that was able to teleport from one side of the battlefield to the next. Over a year had gone by until Gladio finally figured out Prompto’s attack pattern and forced him to think his way through a fight, instead of letting whatever he called “instinct” guide him. He had to relearn _everything_. By now, they've had years of practice fighting side by side.

A second herd joined the fray. Noctis tensed and reached out through the depths of his mind for an Astral willing to help. No response. He glanced towards Prompto.

There it was again: that impassive look that masked Prompto’s face whenever he fought seriously. Noctis wasn’t sure if he liked it or not. He hated the way it reminded him of the “mass produced” MTs, whose soulless eyes were devoid of the humanity that they should’ve contained. On the other hand, it was incredibly badass to watch Prompto coolly dodge each strike by a hair’s width, as if he had seen it all coming, as if this battle was _too simple_ for it to be worth even a shred of his emotion.

A trail of red magic followed his vision.

A trail of red blood flowed from the targets he marked. 

Each bullet landed on the garula’s eyes, causing them to attack their own kind in their blind rage. It wasn’t long before they were taken out. 

“I’m impressed,” Noctis called out to him after the fight. The sound of his voice snapped Prompto out of his concentration.

“Aw, it’s nothin’,” Prompto grinned at the compliment. It was the same type of sheepish smile he wore when they celebrated his first real birthday. Except this time, that smile was marred by a splash of blood from a point-blank shot and a line of monster corpses was littered at his feet. Moments like these are what the red-soled Crownsguard shoes were for. 

"So," Prompto took out his camera, making sure to wipe any blood away so that it stays clean. "Wanna see the glorious moments of that battle?"

Noctis still doesn't understand how he can find the time to set up a camera mid-battle, or actually catch him in the act to call him out on it. It made it interesting to see exactly at what point in time Prompto took a picture. He glanced towards the device with mild interest and instantly frowned. "Prompto, that's a picture of my ass."

"Yep. Glorious moments."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been thinking about it, and is there any sort of scenario where Prompto would get mad at Noctis? I mean, Noctis could kick him off a train and he wouldn't even be angry.


	3. Extra #1: In Royal Chambers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Chapter: The evening after the peace treaty and Prompto’s very first night in Insomnia. Basically, the author tried to tell you the story of how they became friends so fast but it turned out to be way too long and more on the lines of hurt/comfort.

_Lights flickered on and off._

_A tube fed clear liquid into his arm._

_Bright lights._

_Firearms practice sequence #03022. If this was a memory, the only thing he could remember was the fear of failure._

_Endless darkness._

_Restraints. Masked faces. White coats. Latex gloves that traced over his body as though it were a map._

_Lights flickered._

_They had begun their work._

_The lights weren’t flickering._

**_His consciousness was._ **

 

Prompto had woken up for the fourth time that night. He wasn’t used to this. _This_ as in having a room all to himself in the servant’s quarters and actually deciding for himself when to sleep. His body was used to having someone, or _something_ , take control and put him out like a light. Now that was taken from him, his body was withdrawing in a way that he was subject to unending nightmares. Despite not being able to remember the events, the feeling lingered. And that only added frustration. 

His dreams made him feel violated and scared and confused and no amount of staring at the dark Citadel wallpaper or the unfurnished desk in the corner could make him feel otherwise. So he impulsively did the first thing that came to mind; he put on his slippers and without bothering to change out of his pyjamas, he crept out of his room.

Prompto made it a few turns through the halls and into the elevator when he stopped to reconsider his life decisions. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. There was only one place he knew how to get to in this maze of a castle, and he was sure the people stationed here knew that too. The guards had already eyed him suspiciously as he walked through the halls. Maybe they thought he was one of the staff’s kids who needed to pee in the middle of the night. Or maybe they just didn’t have a protocol to deal with whatever he was or was supposed to be. Either way, he somehow managed to get to the entrance to the Prince’s room without getting skewered or thrown into prison.

Well, he made it this far. Might as well. Prompto knocked at the door.

Silence.

That would have been totally obvious if Prompto had checked the time before knocking: A monochrome clock on the wall indicated that it was 1:20 am. The Prince was probably asleep. Prompto slapped himself for being such an idiot and has already turned around to head back to bed when the door creaked open.

“...It’s you,” Noctis had a shocked expression to match with Prompto’s. “My attendants usually just walk in after knocking. …Why were you slapping yourself?”

“O-oh, uh, sorry,” Prompto jerked his hands away from his face and scratched the back of his head. “I just didn’t expect you to be up. It’s just that, I didn’t know if it was ok for me to walk around the palace by myself, and you’re kinda the only person I know, so I was wondering—and um, this seems like a really _really_ stupid idea now that I think about it—" 

“Get in,” Noctis grumbled, cutting him off before he could keep babbling. Prompto did as he was told and shut the door behind him.

The bed was messy. The sheets were overturned and the pillows propped up against the headboard suggesting that the Prince had still been up at this late hour. A phone had been carelessly tossed into the mattress that blared some kind of animation in the darkness of his room. There was even a cup of tea by his bedside.

“I didn’t mean to cut you off,” Noctis began as he crawled back into bed. “It’s just that if one of the guards spotted you, they’d send you back to your room. What’s up?” 

“I…” Prompto took a deep breath, thinking of how to get his words together. He didn’t really know what to do with himself so he just stood by the door. “I can’t sleep. I think I’m having nightmares but I can never remember what happens.” 

“Hm,” Noctis hummed. “I get it. I’m the same way.” 

“I-is that why you’re still up?” Prompto began twiddling with his thumbs and fidgeting with his pyjamas.

“Yeah,” He turned his attention back to his game. He tried not to think about the increasing amount of visions of darkness and ancient voices that tormented his dreams as he grew older. “Best thing to do at times like these is play King’s Knight until you get exhausted and just pass out.”

“King’s Knight?”

“It’s a videogame.”

“A videogame?”

Noctis just gave him an odd look then motioned to one side of his bed. “Sit here, I’ll show you how to play.” 

Prompto plopped down right next to him, and the first thing he noticed was how this bed was _leagues_ more comfortable than the one he was given. He leaned in over his shoulder. They talked about Zell trees, character ranks, mock battles, harvesting and game events. Prompto listened to everything with wide-eyed with curiosity, one arm crossing behind the Prince’s back for comfort.

Noctis thought it was strange for anyone to touch him; people would typically act like they’d die and go to heaven just by grazing his skin. Of course, Ignis, Gladio and his father were exceptions. And apparently, with his “gift” resting his chin over his shoulders to get a better view of the game and no effort made to push him away, Prompto was one too. 

“We should get you a phone so you can game with me,” Noctis thought out loud. 

“That. Would be. AWESOME!” Prompto jumped from his spot. The mattress moved along with him, making Noctis bounce along with his excitement. “Can it have a camera function too? I mean… if you don’t mind. Thank you, Prince Noctis.”

“They all come with cameras now. Do you like taking pictures?” Noctis replied. How does he have so much energy when it’s almost 2 in the morning? “And drop the formalities. Never liked them.”

“Sure thing, Noct,” Prompto grinned and looked to the other to check if that nickname was okay. “I’ve never used one. Just thought it’d be cool, taking pictures. It’s like capturing a moment in time, without memories distorting it.”

“Deep,” Noctis mused. “They never had cameras in Niflheim?”

Prompto just laughed nervously at that. “Well… there wasn’t much of an opportunity to use them.” 

“I bet,” Noctis reached for a sip of his tea. “Honestly, I’m relieved. When I first saw you at the door, I thought we were going to have that conversation again.”

“What conversation?” Prompto asked.

“The one we had earlier…” It would’ve been hard for the average person to see, but Prompto noticed how the Noctis’ ears turned pink in the dim light. “About… y’know. When I asked you why the empire gave you to me.” 

“Ohh,” Prompto had a tone of disappointment to his voice. “Well, I did say you could do whatever you wanted with me, but I kinda just wanted to ask you to put me to sleep.” He eyed the phone in Noctis’ hands.

“But if that’s what you want…” He started unbuttoning his pyjamas.

“What--NO!!” Noctis yelled, then clamped his mouth shut. He shifted himself onto a stunned Prompto to stop him from doing anything more ridiculous and worked on buttoning his shirt back up. His voice immediately dropped to a whisper. “No. That’s not what I meant. I…”

His voice trailed off when he heard a gentle knock. 

“Your Highness,” A maid opened the door and stepped inside, holding a fresh pot of tea. “I heard a scream, is everything alri—“

The three of them just stared at each other. Noctis was caught in the middle of re-doing one of the buttons. Prompto looked frightened and a little teary eyed from the Prince’s sudden outburst. To anyone else, this probably looked like he was forcibly straddling the blonde and trying to take his shirt off in the process.

In the middle of the night. 

On his bed.

“I-I’ll take my leave,” the maid stuttered, trying not to spill the pot as she dropped to a quick bow. “Pardon my interruption.”

“You’re not interrupting any—“ The door had already slammed shut. Noctis wanted to just curl up into a ball and disappear at the thought of the rumours the palace staff would have by next morning.

“…Is she okay?” Prompto asked after a moment of silence. His shirt slouched enough from the missing buttons to reveal his shoulder. “She looked really flustered all of a sudden and… whoa, Noct, you do too. Is something wrong?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Noctis groaned. Prompto looked unconvinced. “Just go to sleep.”

“O… kay,” Prompto seemed downright confused, but decided it would be better to just roll with it. “At least she _Noct_ before she stepped in.” 

Noctis gave him a withering look like he’s heard that pun dozens of times before. He had just moved off of him and was about to get back into his game and try to forget everything that just happened. Until his hands brushed against something hard on Prompto’s body.

Startling the blonde, he immediately set to work on actually undressing him this time. Like, _for real_. Prompto gulped, but made no move to stop him. It’s so hard to tell whether Noctis wanted his shirt on or off. After some effort, the prince pried open his clothes to reveal a glint of silver and some sort of red glass embedded in his chest. (What did you think that hard thing was?)

“What is this?” Noctis demanded. He traced a finger around the mechanism that integrated with flesh. It glowed an eerie, angry red and despite how absolutely creepy the damn thing was, it seemed to be a ticklish spot. Prompto’s lips tugged into an involuntary smile that faded away as quickly as it had appeared.

“I-it’s a magitek core.” Prompto pulled back at his shirt to cover it shamefully. “Sorry. It must be weird.”

“…Yeah, it is,” Noctis finally decided after a moment of silence. What’s weirder is that Prompto was overly conscious of this, but was perfectly fine with giving up his whole body.

“If that’s not good enough for you, I-I get it. I’ll just, uh, head back to my room now,” Prompto mumbled quietly. He quickly glanced away and had begun to get off the bed.

“I think you’re getting the wrong message,” Noctis grabbed him by the wrist before he could leave. Prompto seemed to jump at this too. “I’m saying what the empire did to you is weird. Scratch that; I think it’s terrible. So… I think I know what your nightmares are about. If it’s scary being by yourself, you’re welcome to stay here.”

“…Really?” Prompto asked incredulously. 

“Yeah,” Noctis shrugged, slinking deeper into his blankets and motioning for him to do the same. “As long as you try to fall asleep normally like the rest of us do and don’t take your clothes off, it’s fine.”

“Deal!” Prompto grinned. “Mind if I try playing King’s Knight for a bit?”

“Uh, go for it,” The question caught Noctis off guard. He passed the phone over. Before he knew it, he was the one resting on the other’s shoulder, feeling the warmth of his skin as they leaned back into the cushions. It might be nice just to close his eyes for a bit…

 

  

“World’s waiting, Princess.”

A firm hand was shaking Noctis awake, and he casually brushed it off and resumed to burying his face into his pillow. Whoever said heated pillows helped with sleep deserved a raise. He had the most peaceful, nightmare-free rest in a long time.

He was about to fall back asleep when his pillow… moved. Noctis’ eyes blared open in shock to meet his Sheild’s, then immediately closed them again. Right. That happened last night. He really didn’t want go through this right now. The day had just begun and he was already done with it.

“Prompto, meet my bodyguard,” Noctis mumbled sleepily, not caring if the blonde was awake or not to be introduced. He stifled a yawn. “Gladio, this is Prompto.” 

“Nice to meet you!” His pillow called out, slowly trying to pry himself off of Noct. 

“You must be the Prince’s new ‘friend’. Cute.” Gladio folded his arms. “Either of you wanna explain why your attendants are too scared to wake you up and had to get me to do it?” 

The bodyguard eyed Prompto’s half-open shirt, just enough so that his skin was laid bare in the morning sun. A hint of what could only be the Prince’s drool glistened at the corner of his neck. 

“…Or not. I think I get it.” Gladio smoothed his fingers through his hair. “Is this why the maids were calling you a rapist, your Highness?” 

Noctis replied with a frustrated groan and burying himself in more blankets. Prompto didn't miss how the Prince was still holding onto him even under the covers.

“One more reason to move out of the Citadel now,” Noctis peeked out from the pile of sheets. Blue eyes locked gazes. “I’m taking you with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turned out to be way too long to incorporate into the story. e__e So here you go. An extra.  
> Also, thank you for all the kudos/comments! Super appreciated and thank you for reading. c:


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My thoughts are fairly disorganized (and I suck at expressing them) so just to let you guys know the timeline of these flashbacks:  
> Prompto arrives in Insomnia (Oct 25)  
> Gladio starts training with him immediately after getting introduced (Oct 26)  
> Prompto passes out and tries eating for the first time (Oct 31)  
> Ignis meets him (Nov 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read in some fic somewhere that Prompto keeps like 20 pictures of a snail in his camera and it has been my favourite thing ever since. It’s still really hard for me to believe that nearly 100 ppl are subscribed from something that started off as a daydream. Thank you for the kudos! :D

“We’d be getting to Lestallum earlier than expected,” Noctis said as they drove away from the first stop in northern Duscae. He had to raise his voice over the roar of the winds. “Ignis and Gladio won’t meet us there a lot later.”

“Mm-hm,” Prompto replied absentmindedly, fiddling around with his camera and froze. “Wait, why are Iggy and Gladio meeting us there? I thought the whole point of this road trip was to make yourself look like a _strong_ , independent future king that don’t need no squad of guards?” 

“Yep. It’d be like that if it was just me going out to drive and talking to people. This strong, independent future king _apparently_ also needs to get rid of his pampered city boy image,” Noctis gave a sigh that sounded like he’d really rather go home, curl up in a blanket burrito and play video games. He spared him a glance. “If I’m gonna willingly toss myself into a bunch of daemons and monsters, I’d rather have my Shield and advisor with me.”

“And having a literal hired meat shield and gourmet cook isn’t part of being pampered?” Prompto raised an eyebrow.

“I think you mean survivalist expert and battle strategist,” Noctis said simply. “Aren’t you getting bored of just doing nothing when I visit all these stops and spend hours talking to people?” 

Prompto looked at his camera, which was now almost full of photos, then back at him. “Nope. Honestly when you mentioned some kinda political road trip, this wasn’t what I was expecting.” He shuddered at the memory of being dragged into some of Noct’s political meetings time and time again. In those days, he swore the cause of his death would be anxiety. “But its gonna be TOTALLY awesome to go on a road trip with everyone!”

“I knew you’d think so,” Noctis chuckled. He steered with one hand, something Ignis would’ve nagged at him for. “We made a bit of gil with all those garula tusks, so I was thinking: Comfy beds in an actual hotel in Lestallum, then back track a bit to Wiz’ Chocobo Post and spend the day there?” 

“What’s a chocobo post?” Prompto asked. Blue eyes looked up at him curiously.

Noctis was about to answer but decided against it. A long time ago, he cautiously asked how Prompto grew up in Niflheim. The answer was: He didn’t. Not really.

 

* * *

 

“I think I kind of just slept the whole time,” Prompto answered. They were sprawled on the grass of the Citadel’s rooftop garden, and bathed in the warmth of the afternoon sun. Noctis rested his head on Prompto’s stomach. “I’d close my eyes then BAM, like 10 years would pass.”

“A 10 year nap, huh?” Noctis yawned. He was lulled by the rise and fall of the other’s breathing. “I could use that.”

“Noooo, I wouldn’t recommend it, even for you buddy,” Prompto shuddered just a little at the thought. He patted his friends head anxiously. “It’s seriously freaky.”

 

* * *

 

So he had a non-existent childhood. Prompto lacked common sense, or any sort of common knowledge. There was even a point in time where he believed all dogs had magical powers. So he took Prompto out to the zoo once, just the two of them, to show him all sorts of animals.

Prompto got too emotional. They both got kicked out and permanently banned. Noctis and his retainers were very careful in introducing him to strange and fantastic creatures now. Especially strange, fantastic and _cute_ creatures.

Like chocobos.

“Do me a favour,” Noctis prayed to the gods he wouldn’t get banned from the chocobo post too. “And don’t try to find out what it is until we get there.”

 

 

 

Lestallum. The _finest_ room available for their _immediate_ comfort was just a mediocre unit with a single Queen sized bed and a rusty shower. As awkward as it was for two dudes just being bros to share a bed by themselves, they really had no choice since the _finest_ room also happened to be the _only_ room available.

“This takes me back,” Prompto tucked himself into his side of the bed. He turned to face the man next to him. “We used to sneak to each other’s rooms all the time when our nightmares got too bad. Do you still get them?” 

“More than before. Just got used to them,” Noctis replied curtly. His eyes were already closed and the blanket was wrapped tightly around him. The Crystal tormented his dreams of a fate that would never come to pass. There was no catalyst to spur the King of Light into action, and maybe in another world, there would’ve been. Instead, he just got a lot less sleep than what people assumed.

Prompto didn’t know what to say to that, and he already knew from years of Noctis’ medical (and magical) examinations, there was no cure. Some sort of reassurance always helped though, so he shifted an arm around Noct’s waist and pressed himself close. He earned himself a grunt of irritation from the Prince. “Aww, is big kid Noct too old for cuddles?” 

Noctis snarled in response, but he knew what Prompto was doing.

“Need magic?” Noctis murmured, ignoring his taunt. He was grateful for Prompto’s consideration, but still hoped the answer would be no, so he could try to sleep already.

“Uh, lemme get comfy first,” Prompto shifted around, trying to get into the perfect position and settled on being partially on top of the Prince. Once he relaxed, the blue flow of magic appeared. His breath hitched, and Noctis ran fingers through blonde hair until Prompto’s breathing steadied. His hair was still a little damp from the shower.

“I miss Ignis,” Noctis admitted out loud. He was careful to keep his magic steady. “I’m tired of failed attempts at cooking garula steak.” 

“He’d buy a ton of spices from here,” Prompto’s hushed reply came slowly. His body remained limber by Noctis’ side. It’s always a strange experience considering how jumpy and jittery he usually was. The smile was in his voice when he added: “And _spice_ things up.” 

“Yeah,” Noctis replied, with a bit of a chuckle. “And you’re gonna try all the ingredients again. Like the first time you met him.”

 

* * *

 

A royal advisor’s job is to advise the royalty they serve against poor decisions. Living alone in a private apartment with a Magitek Trooper from Niflheim was clearly one of them.

“Your Highness,” Ignis lectured. He always tosses out those Highnesses instead of just Noct whenever he tried to placate him. It was no wonder Noct began to hate the word. “I would advise against this.” 

“Gladio’s cool with it,” Noctis pointed out. He disapprovingly rolled a tomato from side to side on the marble countertops of his new apartment. Ignis was at it again, putting together strange ingredients that somehow yielded gourmet dishes.

“Unlike _Gladio_ ,” You could practically hear Ignis cursing his name at agreeing to the idea. “I have no bias for a capable sparring partner with unlimited free time.”

“He said he’d be bored in the Citadel if we just left him there,“ Noctis replied. “And I’d be bored just living by myself.”

“Then stay in the Citadel,” Ignis said firmly.

“You know why I don’t want to,” Noctis just shook his head. The lack of privacy, the constant formalities, the _rumours_ _that he was a rapist_. “You’ll understand when you meet him, Specs.”

“I certainly will,” Ignis continued adamantly. “If I can’t deter you from your actions, the least I can do is analyze the… _character_ of this weapon of the empire’s.”

“You think he’s a spy.”

“He very well could be.”

“Yeup,” Noctis replied sarcastically. He waved a hand as if he could dismiss the suggestion. “A scary assassin-spy who tried to eat the petunias in the garden, has twenty pictures of a snail in his camera and whose remote control is in my pocket.”

Ignis was about to lash out with a harsh reply when the doorbell to the apartment rang.

“I’ll get it,” Noctis offered. “You just sit tight and cook. You said it yourself that cooking’s a stress-reliever for you. And you seriously need to chill.”

A scuffle of shoes, excited greetings and some suspicious whispering later, the Prince presented his friend to the Advisor.

Ignis’ first impression: A lithe boy, with an angular face and a seemingly nervous smile. His body was built for his age. He had vibrant blonde hair that only belonged to the Imperials; Lucians were typically dark-haired, Accordo’s were chocolate-coloured, while those of Tenebrean ancestry had a much more muted tones or silvery blondes. Niff-made through and through.

“H-hi,” The boy greeted him sheepishly and tried to put as much mirth into his words. “The name’s Prompto! Nice to meet ya.” 

“Ignis Scientia,” The advisor introduced himself, monotone. “A pleasure.”

“So… uh,” Prompto didn’t know what to say and shot Noctis a look of _helpwhatamIdoing_. The Prince only tilted his head in response, signaling for the two of them to at least try to be friends. “W-what’s cooking?”

“Rosemary and thyme steak,” Ignis replied, allowing the butter to melt on the skillet. “The secret is the unorthodox use of chamomile.”

“Rosemary and thyme? Chamomile?” Prompto at least knew what the steak part was, he’s seen Noct eat one before. Speaking of which, the Prince sat on the couch and took out his phone, letting the two get acquainted with each other.

“They are herbs,” Ignis gestured towards three pots, two of which had blossomed flowers. He pointed at the various array of plants that were growing in the kitchen as an herb garden, and Prompto listened with wide-eyed curiosity. 

“You can eat flowers!?” Prompto asked incredulously. “I tried that in the Citadel gardens. Noct told me that not everything that smells good is edible.”

“Ah yes,” Ignis mused. _An idiot_. “His Highness mentioned that you are… unaccustomed to certain practices. Perhaps you’d like to try the constituents of the dish, and experience the process of cooking? You may discover your palate.”

“Um. Sure?” Prompto had no idea what he just said. Shortly after, a sampler platter with a dollop of sauces, snippets of vegetables and herbs, and even a plain bite of steak was given to him. He tried them all, and his face contorted into all sorts of faces, especially after trying a lemon slice. “No offence, but those are all… icky.”

Ignis’ second impression: He doesn’t know how to eat. It’s hardly been 5 seconds and the floor is a mess. His eating habits are comparable to a child’s.

“On their own, perhaps,” Ignis served him a plate of the completed dish, topped with a rosemary garnish. Like a good strategist against an enemy, he considered poisoning it for a moment then immediately perished the thought. “And here is the final result.” 

Prompto really didn’t want to try any of his food anymore, but he did it anyways, just to try not to be rude. His eyes bolted open in shock after a bite. “Ignis, you’re really incredible! This is amazing!” 

Ignis’ gentle smile betrayed his thoughts.  _What's incredible is the fact that his Highness wants **you** to live here._  

“I’m serious, Ignis, I can’t believe this isn’t magic,” Prompto continued. He didn’t know if he should savour it or just inhale the sacred gift that was Ignis’ cooking. “Combining all these flavours that taste bad on their own into something so _tasty_ is a MIRACLE. This is almost cooler than Noct’s magic! You’re a miracle worker, Ignis!” 

“My magic can’t be compared to cooking,” Noctis grumbled from a couch in the corner of his apartment but was ignored by the two.

“Well, ahem,” Ignis blushed ever so slightly at the continued praise. Considering that the receiver of his meals was normally apathetic toward each dish, getting this much felt strange. “Thank you, Prompto. My skills pale in comparison to that of the royal chef’s, but I would be happy to let you taste test.” 

“Ohmigosh! The wonder chef has asked me to be his taste tester! Yes please!” Prompto squealed and seemed to bounce in place. “But, um, can I ask you something?”

Ignis tensed, and whatever feeling of ease he felt disappeared completely. A spy attempting to pry information out of a royal advisor was within his expectations.

“I shall answer to the best of my ability,” Ignis replied carefully.

“I was wondering if you could come to the amusement park with me and Noct,” Prompto said gleefuly. “It’ll be fun!”

“Erm… certainly,” Ignis finally responded. Noctis and Prompto gave each other air fist-bumps and mentioned something about older-friend-perks. “But might I ask what brought this up?” 

“We tried to go to the amusement park,” Prompto replied dejectedly, his whole expression drooping into one of disappointment. He wore his heart on his sleeve. “But they said we needed a grown-up to get in.”

“…Is… that all?” Ignis adjusted his glasses. 

“Um… yeah! Hope it’s not too much to ask,” Prompto beamed. “I thought it’d be _totally cool_ if you came along with us! You’re really good at explaining stuff and I’m not even sure what an amusement park is.” 

Ignis was exasperated. He felt like an _utterly stupid oaf_ for being so tense in the first place. “Allow me to summarize our conversation thus far: you’re in need of snacks and an adult.”

Ignis’ third impression: Curious in just about everything and not unpleasant to teach. Physically; a combat-made 15 year old. Mentally; a toddler. Incapable of sabotage even if he had a parent to guide his hand.

“You make it sound like I’m five,” Prompto pouted, as if reading Ignis’ mind. A petal was still stuck to his lips from trying raw chamomile.

“Hey Specs,” Noctis looked up from his phone, a knowing smirk plastered across his face. “How’s that character analysis going? Your spidey-senses sensing any danger yet?” 

Ignis sighed in defeat. “Passed with flying colours.”

 

* * *

 

“He thought you were a spy at first, but you grew on him pretty fast, you know?” Noctis mumbled after a while. He opened his eyes when silence was his only reply; this was the sort of info Prompto would eat up and spit back out with ten-fold excitement. “Prompto? Prom… oh shit.”

Noctis had gotten lost in his daydream for too long. He could tell from the hazy, red glow of Prompto’s iris that he had given him too much magic. He felt like slapping himself. _Not again._  

He’d done this on accident several times before, and the blonde had described the experience as “hard to remember” and “couldn’t really think at the time”. For Prompto, this was his equivalent of being drunk. The blonde jumped to life with an intensely affectionate hug the second Noctis stopped his magic. 

“Prompto,” Noctis wheezed, grasping at one of his arms. He really wished his powers could also take magic out of someone like a procurement point. “Damn you’re strong as hell, you’re squishing me. I can barely breathe.”

“But I always squish you,” Prompto insisted, wide-eyed. 

“This was my fault, I kinda zoned out,” Noctis tried to push him away, but with no luck. “Get a hold of yourself!” 

Prompto giggled and pressed his face even closer to Noct’s. “You only have one glove.” 

“Because you took the other one when your bracelet snapped off in public and never gave it back,” Noctis grumbled and finally resigned himself to the death cuddle. 

“…Oh no,” Prompto was horrified. He played with Noct’s fingers then moved his hand around where the glove should’ve been. His hands traced around the fine hairs on his arm. He paused in thought. “Do you think Medusa’s leg hairs would be like… _tiny_ snakes?”

“Prompto, shut up and go to sleep.” Noctis really felt like forcing him into it at this point, but his phone was nowhere to be found.

Prompto didn’t hear him. “What do people taste like?”

“What?” Noctis tried to move away, but he was held too tightly. Prompto was a cuddly, curious and loving sort of drunk and he was never the violent sort. But then again, his entire persona can only be described as unpredictable. “Prompto, that would be cannibalism.”

“No, no,” Prompto shook his head and disagreed. “That’s Iggy’s new recipe.” He took a deep breath in from his shirt. Noctis tried not to think too hard about it. “Noct, you’re really nice. You’re like. My favourite.”

He inched closer to his skin.

“Prompto. Prompto, I swear to the Six, if you don’t—“ Noctis was panicking. He was about to smack him away with the blunt side of one of his armigers because moments like these are what floating swords are for, when Prompto suddenly attacked…

…his lips.

Noctis kept his lips pressed into a thin line because despite how many ass-slaps Prompto gives him in a week, he had confirmed _dude I just want to be friends_ still stands. He liked having Prompto next to him while he slept, and his smiles, and the way he brightens every situation and even his odd obsession with his butt. It was to the point where he gladly stopped the Regalia every 5 mins to let him take pictures. Prompto left him confused, and sometimes, he maybe even wanted to be something more than friends. He had the power, the authority and every right to make it so, but he didn’t. Because Prompto just wanted to be friends. Someone should praise him because he had the self-control of a _king_.

Those were platonic constant touches of his butt, he reminded himself as Prompto sloppily attempted to taste him.

The intimacy of a best friend. 

Nothing but good ol’ ass-slaps of friendship.

… 

Who the fuck was he kidding?

“You asked for this,” Noctis said under his breath. He kissed him back, boldly slipping his tongue past his lips, and sucking on his partner’s when he dared to do the same.

“You’re tasty,” Prompto told him dreamily, between breaths. His eyes still glowed red with the veil of magic.

Noctis wanted to take back those words. He felt as if the _he_ was the one who 'asked for this' because the one moaning was definitely him. Prompto seemed to know exactly the way his lips worked, when to lead and the right times to give in to his ministrations. Just when he thought he’d break free from the kiss, a swirl of Prompto’s tongue gliding along the roof of his mouth left him wanting for more. He wasn’t sure what he thought he wanted of Prompto before, but now he was as sure as Gladio's bulging pecs that he wanted more of _this_. Until Prompto suddenly pushed him away, flushed, with deep _blue_ eyes meeting his own.

Noctis didn’t miss that horrified look the instant he sobered up. It wasn’t the jittery, embarrassed sort of horrified he was so used to seeing when Prompto was put into awkward social situations. It was terror. Like he accidentally microwaved his camera and set Pryna on fire while he was at it. Like he had made _a mistake_.

“Does this feel right to you?” Noctis had to ask once they both managed to catch their breaths. Prompto’s actions just seemed weird sometimes.

“Dude,” Whatever expression he had before was wiped clean and replaced with one of his signature smiles. “That’s like someone asking _you_ if sitting on a throne feels right to you. Wanna keep going?”

“You’re not answering my question,” Noctis replied tonelessly. “Yes or no?”

Prompto opened his mouth to stammer out what seemed to be a ‘yeah’, but pressed his lips together as he looked uncomfortably to his left. Then, he settled on looking as nonchalant as possible and shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”

What the hell?

“It does to me,” Noctis was about to press on when he realized this was exactly how the blonde had acted in high school, when a girl asked to try on his leather wristbands, or the day it started raining during a football match and everyone discarded their shirts except for Prompto. Back then, most people didn’t know _what_ he was, and he wanted to keep it that way. So he dodged every question with a smile and a vague response that would derail the conversation. Did he land on an insecurity? Noctis knew what that meant to him.

“Look, whatever,” Noctis sighed. A protest was still on Prompto’s lips. He opened his arms like an invitation to just cuddle and let the subject drop. “I won’t do it again. Let’s just go back to bed.”

Prompto swallowed and looked down before nodding and slipping back onto his arms.

Noctis dared to let himself think that Prompto looked disappointed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing but good ol’ ass-slaps of friendship.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd. I'll edit it when I wake up tomorrow. c:  
> As usual, thank you for the support, comments and kudos! Always appreciated! :D

Noctis woke up to a slam of a door, sunshine on his eyes and tangled legs. He was using Prompto as a pillow, which almost _always_ happened whenever they slept together. His ear was pressed to the thin cloth of his friend’s shirt, and he listened to the steady breathing for a moment before slowly unwrapping his arms.

“Heyaz,” Prompto greeted him with practiced confidence. He had his usual ‘good morning’ smile. One hand was draped around Noctis’ shoulders and the other on his phone.

“…Morning,” Noctis finally greeted after studying his face for a moment. His eyes narrowed as at way Prompto ignored the events of the night before. So that’s how he wants to play. He hesitantly pushed himself off of Prompto’s stomach and away from his warmth. Sleep was still in his voice. “What time is it?” 

“Way past the time you should’ve actually woken up,” A deep, gruff voice called from one side of the room. Noctis whipped his head around in alarm to see his Shield and advisor standing by the entrance to the room. They were already making themselves comfortable.

“ _Gladio_? Why the hell are you…?” Noctis trailed off, still a little disoriented from sleep.

“It is half past one in the afternoon,” Ignis replied, and began rolling his sleeves. “It’s wonderful to see you up and about at this hour. I shall prepare a hearty lunch. And I expect you to eat your vegetables to account for your missed meals.” 

Noctis ignored him. He learned to tune out vegetables in his life. “Prompto, why didn’t you wake me up?” 

“I diiiiid. I tried to like, 50 times,” Prompto shot him a disapproving look. “But every time you were all _nooooo just five more minutes_. Or _let’s_ _stay here for a bit_. Then I just gave up and started playing King’s Knight. I got so bored I texted Iggy and Gladio on the group chat. And here they are. …Ta-da!”

“You seriously sat here the entire time?” Noctis was astounded. He barely remembered waking up and saying those things. Maybe if he actually woke up on time, he could’ve caught a chance to talk about last night. 

“Uh… yeah?” Prompto answered.

Noctis was about to ask what he did for breakfast and lunch, but then he remembered the blonde didn’t have to eat. “Didn’t you want to go out and explore the city?” 

“And leave you here by yourself, while you’re all vulnerable and sleepy?” Prompto gasped in shock. He gestured towards the two new guests. “Gladio and Iggy would _kill_ me!”

“You did well in that regard,” Ignis agreed from the kitchen.

“That’s great and all, but don’t forget this trip’s not just fun and games,” Gladio grumbled. “Get dressed, and get packing. Daylight’s burning.” 

“So,” Prompto asked as he casually jumped off the bed. “Does this mean we're not going to the chocobo post?”

 

 

  

 

Now that Ignis and Gladio were here, they were eager to get right down to business. The idea of petting birds was immediately shut down by the advisor, who was only doing his job by advising them not to waste time. Noctis was about to veto that decision, when Gladio suggested hunting the monster known as Deadeye who was terrorizing Duscae as of late. So chocobos was still the plan at the end of the day. That is, until a certain someone lost something very valuable that night in Lestallum. 

“Everything in order?” Ignis asked while starting the engine, as usual. In hindsight, black leather seats and black leather outfits were a terrible idea in the region heated by the burning Disc of Cauthess.

“Mm-hm,” came Prompto’s usual reply.

“…Uh oh,” Not the usual _yep_.

Four pairs of eyes glanced back at Noctis. 

“Oh fuck my Astrals,” Noctis groaned, standing up and patting his pockets. “I think I lost my phone.” He doesn’t remember seeing it the night before, either.

“Check the seats,” Ignis suggested, fidgeting with the rear view mirror to see if he could spot it himself. Gladio and Noctis had already stepped out of the car to inspect. “If not, let’s backtrack to the inn and see if the concierge has it in their possession.”

“If it was stolen, you can only blame yourself,” Gladio stretched, but they all knew he was just trying to show off his muscles. He had already used his own phone to dial the Prince’s number. “Using a prissy gold plated phone is setting yourself up to get robbed.”

“It was Dad’s birthday present,” Noctis defended. “Your _King_ gave it to me. Your KING?” Noctis repeated the title and dared him to challenge the tastes of the man he served.

“Wait. If you lost your phone, then…” Prompto stopped scanning the vicinity and gulped. “What happens to me?”

It was their turn to look at Prompto.

“…Fuck Noct’s Astrals, indeed,” Ignis muttered, after the silence lingered for too long. “I was under the assumption you would know your… terms and conditions.”

“I’m not the one who came up with the wild and wacky concept of using a phone app to control people,” Prompto shot back. He glanced away when he realized their stares were enough to burn holes into him and fidgeted with his seat belt. “How am I supposed to know what happens? Like seriously, who comes up with this?”

Yeah, what weirdo thinks of this idea? With renewed haste and a realization that the phone wasn’t in the car ( _Your call has been forwarded to--_ ) the party began to head back to the inn.

“The chancellor of Niflheim,” Noctis suddenly blurted out as they trudged through a crowd. “It’s been years but I kinda remember something about him popping up when I first met you.”

“Kinda remember. Dude, that’s a _big_ kinda,” Prompto frowned, following him closely behind. “I thought Lucis wanted like, the least to do with that creepy guy as possible. Are you sure we have to deal with him? Maybe you could flip back a few chapters and check, just in case?”

“This isn’t some novel, Prompto,” Gladio grumbled, keeping his eye on the surroundings for a missing phone. 

“B-but… we have a _magical_ _dog_ ,” Prompto stared at him with a dead-pan expression. “That lets you look into the _past_.”

“The past won’t help us find where he is _now_ ,” Noctis rolled his eyes.

“You seem to have a rather strong aversion to the man,” Ignis noted. “You’ve met the Chancellor?” 

“Once. I think,” Prompto rubbed his neck like he was feeling a phantom pain. “He was real touchy…”

A voice rose from a passing crowd: “I consider it _touching_ that you’d remember _me_.”

“ _KWEHH!!?”_ Prompto yelped as the voice tickled his ear. It was a cross between a girl’s high-pitched _KYAAA!!_ and a very confused _EEHHH!!!???_ But let’s be real: Prompto screams like a tasered bird.

Behind him stepped a man made greater with the bulk of his coat. He walked with the grace of someone of higher standing, but the way his shoulders slouched and the way his purple mess of hair clashed with the rest of his outfit made him look more like a dignified hobo. 

“Ardyn Izunia,” Ignis breathed the name in shock. “Imperial Chancellor of Niflheim.” 

“Fancy meeting you here,” Gladio added. “Exactly when we needed to find you.” 

“Well, as they say, speak of the devil…” Ardyn bowed as his voice trailed off dreamily.

“…and the devil shall appear,” Noctis finished for him. It was too much of a coincidence for him to show up exactly when they needed him to. But still, a 5-year peace between the two nations exists, and as a Prince practicing his role as a dignitary, he still had to address him appropriately. “It’s an honour to meet you again, Chancellor Izunia. Can we be of service during your stay in Lucis?”

“Such amicable mannerisms, as one would expect from his Highness. Yet I believe it is _I_ who can be of service,” Ardyn lifted a hand to delicately place under Prompto’s chin. He reeled away and slowly inched back towards Gladio’s direction. You could practically hear his thoughts as he hid behind the party’s designated meat shield and it was probably something along the lines of _please, please, PLEASE don’t touch me_.

Ardyn smiled at his reaction. “But since you so graciously asked, I’d like to take you up on your offer.”

The party’s groan was suppressed by bustle of the city. Every single one of them hoped Ardyn would say no. Noctis wondered if it was too late to take back what he said.

“I’ll be brief. One of our best Magitek units has gone berserk,” He scanned Prompto’s body as though he were made of _sugar_ , _spice_ and everything ~ _nice_. Noctis found himself breaking his line of sight. “And our current forces will undoubtedly fail should we try to subdue it. I have the quantity, while you have the quality. What say we help each other? I’ll find your missing phone with our greater numbers, or otherwise replace it should we fail to find it, while your party subdues or eliminates the unit.”

“I thought unique Magitek units were expensive,” Gladio eyed him suspiciously. So he knew the Prince’s phone was missing. Was he eavesdropping from all the way back at the parking lot? He had a feeling the phone wouldn’t be at the hotel. “And you’re asking us to break your best?” 

“If you deem it necessary, yes,” Ardyn gave a slight nod. “Although it would be a shame to lose, this unit is meant to obey orders.” He made a very obvious glance towards Prompto’s direction. “If it fails its purpose, then it must be discarded.” 

The group shifted uncomfortably at the Chancellor’s reasoning. One of those ‘Magitek units’ was one of them; a Crownsguard and friend. Indispensible. But that wasn’t the case in the Empire and the royal family was forced to respect that in accordance to the peace treaty.

“We can’t let rogue Magitek units run around in Lucis, anyways,” Noctis grabbed Prompto’s hand. Something about the way the Chancellor kept checking Prompto out just made him feel the need to hold him as though he might get kidnapped and taken away.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Ardyn’s eyes traced their interlocked fingers and slowly travelled up until they lingered at the blonde’s collarbone. “The report.” He stepped forward to had the advisor a folded piece of paper, which Ignis cautiously accepted.

“One more request, Chancellor Izunia?” Noctis asked with an irritated tilt of his head, and a tightened grip. Prompto let out a whimper of protest but didn’t dare to pull his hand away. “Lay your eyes off Prompto. Niflheim may have branded him, but he _belongs to me_.” He practically spat out the words by the time he had finished speaking. 

“…Of course,” Ardyn flourished, and waved goodbye. His grin widened. “I’m also aware of the software you’ve misplaced. I will see to it that no harm befalls your _possessions._ You have my word. It's been a pleasure, Prince Noctis. X5. Gentlemen.” He did somewhat of an inappropriate curtsy and left.

“N-Noct,” Prompto mumbled uncomfortably as soon as the Chancellor was out of earshot.

“Did I say something wrong?” Noctis challenged him. The displeasure of meeting Ardyn still hung in the air and poured daggers into his mood. First, he got pushed away by Prompto the night before and now some Imperial pervert was undressing his best friend with his eyes. 

“U-um, no,” Prompto looked down, and couldn’t quite meet his gaze. His face was coloured a furious pink and he squeezed the Prince’s hand right back. “Not at all.”

Noctis just sighed at that, every ounce of annoyance leaving him in one long breath. He would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy hearing Prompto admit that he was his property. He let go of his hand and was about to walk off when he turned to lean right next to the blonde’s ear.

“I want you to want this too,” Noctis murmured, then patted his shoulder. Prompto was left red and speechless.

Gladio whistled at the exchange. “About time. I’m sick and tired of your secret pining like stupid teenagers.”

“Gladio, I’ll take this opportunity to tell you that you lack tact concerning delicate scenarios,” Ignis admonished him. Gladio only huffed in response.

Ignis spared a quick glance at the report he was given. It was only a one page block of text that he was sure neither Noct nor Prompto would read. Details of weaponry, tactics, defense and location lined the page. At the right hand corner was a series of lines that he had initially mistaken to be a logo, but the code written below caught his attention:

_0H4P-66X6_

 

 

 

Several hours of walking in the wilderness, random monster encounters and the usual battle banter cleared the air of any awkwardness that transpired between the two. Life or death situations tend to do that, it seemed. So did wandering around lost in an attempt to find a hidden, abandoned Niflheim base.

“And we still don’t know what happens if your phone is gone forever! What if I die, Noct?” Prompto complained and shuddered at the thought of Ardyn messing around with those buttons. Ew. Ew. _EW_. “Or worse, what if I start getting moody? I’ll have to go through that phase in life where I dye my hair black, like the _colour_ of my _soul_.”

“Black might do you some good,” Noctis mused. 

“Such _angst_. Much darkness,” Prompto clutched his chest and swooned. He leaned back towards Gladio in some sort of trust-fall, but the man just sidestepped at watched him crash to the grass. “O Prince of Lucis, bring back the light!”

“Can’t you just stuff him in the Armiger?” Gladio asked, his irritation reaching its peak.

“Hey! I am actually NOT a robot, okay!?” Prompto puffed his cheeks as he jumped up. “I’d die if I got tossed around in the void of whatever goes on in there with your swords. _And_ other sharp pointy things that kill people.”

“Perhaps we could try,” Ignis added dryly. “Just to see if that’s truly the case.”

“To do that, he’d have to _get inside Noct_ first,” Gladio winked at both of them. He grinned at his own joke. “You’ve both spent enough time tangled in the same bed that Prompto might as well be a part of your _Royal Arms_.” 

The two of them went quiet, and made a point of facing away from each other. No smart-ass comment from the Prince and no stammering refutes from the gunner. Not the reaction Gladio was expecting. It wasn’t what Ignis was expecting either, with the way his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“What’s this? You two have trouble in bed?” Gladio prodded at them. “You were all lovey-dovey when Ardyn showed up.”

“I-it’s not like that!” Prompto shakily protested. “ _We’re_ not like that.”

Noctis refused to comment, but his mood had clearly soured.

Ignis merely sighed in exasperation. Just when things had started to return to some semblance of normalcy, horny, _horny_ Gladio just had to bring things up again. Just _marvelous_. He decided to target the heart of the matter.

“Prompto?” The blonde perked up at the mention of his name. “I’d like a word.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently the reason why I’ve been having issues sleeping is because the tea I drink happens to be absolutely loaded with caffeine. It’s the same one I’ve been hooked on since September, but the difference was, I was CRAZY busy back then. I have been accused of having no concept of work-life balance, I’m either a workaholic or so lazy that I can’t even do my homework with all the time in the world. There is no in between. I also can’t get out of either habit quickly. (Ignis, I understand your Ebony addiction. Coffee based energy drinks are also one of my favs)
> 
> And here I thought I had incurred the divine wrath of the fanfiction Astrals with literal insomnia. Can’t write when you’re constantly tired af—
> 
> …I’ll still drink the tea, though. :3

“I see that there’s trouble in paradise,” Ignis began, cracking open a can of Ebony. “That was quite an exchange Noctis had with the Chancellor." 

Judging from the lack of _anything_ remotely man-made in the distance, it was likely that the entirety of the base was underground. The surroundings were littered with trees, trees, and—you guessed it: more trees! While Prompto and Ignis were having their discussion from the safety of the blue-runed haven, the others were scouring the vicinity. Ignis had taken the liberty to turn this into his own personal Ebony break.

“Iggy, this is _NOCT_ we’re talking about,” Prompto rolled his eyes. He folded his arms and pouted like any kid that was experiencing a ‘talk’. “No paradise here. Pretty sure he meant the _he-belongs-to-me_ thing like, he’s got a gift receipt in his closet or something. Or proof of purchase, whatever.” 

“I think I speak for us all when I say that I’m disheartened to hear you speak about yourself like an item,” Ignis said to him, with the soft tone of a concerned mother.

“Thanks, Ig. But that’s not exactly how the Imperials think of me,” Prompto jingled his bracelet at him. They both knew what was behind that leather band. “And Noct knows that too. They tend to back off when he says stuff like that…” 

“You speak as if this has happened before,” Ignis noted. “Did you also blush as deeply at the time?”

“W-well…” Prompto let his voice trail off as he thought about what Noct had whispered to him earlier. That bit was new. ‘Want’ _what_ exactly? No matter how Noctis acted so powerful and commanding and sexy and how Prompto’s totally NOT into him in that way, he was sure he’d made it clear in the past several years that _he_ _wanted_ Noct to just do whatever _Noct_   _wanted_.

“Prompto,” the advisor sighed. “What happened during your trip with his Highness?”

“Oh, don’t even get me started!” But Prompto was definitely getting started, and this train wasn’t stopping anytime soon. Ignis took another sip. “I think I accidentally got drunk last night or something and it was WEIRD. _Really_ weird. Like suddenly, I snap to it and I’m all WHOA I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF MY FIRST KISS WHAT IS HAPPENING—“ He flailed his arms like he was trying to convey his feelings through an interpretive dance. “And it was with Noct. _NOCT_. He totally _knew_ that was my first, and he—ugh, he was so casual! Not fair. He’s already kissed a bunch of people, like, do you have _any idea_ how many people think a good dare is to kiss the Prince? Girls AND guys.”

There was just the slightest hint of jealousy in that pause.

“No wonder he’s so anti social!” Prompto started all over again. “He gets like, borderline violated in any non-formal social event! I swear, I’ve had it harder trying to protect him from thirsty highschoolers than any pack of monsters I’ve ever faced, _ever_!

“Iggy, if you’re the advisor and Gladio’s the Shield,” Prompto looked at him with the seriousness of a thousand new recipes. “Then I must be the royal cockblock. I wasn’t made to be a cockblock!”

“You’re shifting the topic elsewhere,” Ignis accused. “Considering the way you both present yourselves to one another, I would presume such an event would put your relationship in the right direction.”

“What’s that’s supposed to mean?” Prompto asked, with a slight motion of his head. He was a little winded from his rant. “He’s my buddy, and that won’t change.” 

“I mean to say, Prince Noctis has always been poor with his feelings, as well as the emotions of others. Now that he’s realized what he wants, he’s not likely to stop,” Ignis cleared his throat. “Your affections are like a Tenebrean dessert.”

“Wow, okay, first you don’t deny I’m like a living condom, then I get demoted to those tarts you’re always making?” Prompto puffed out his cheeks in mock disappointment. “Well I mean, they are _seriously_ good tarts, so I guess I can take that as a compliment.”

“That’s a promotion, not a _demotion_ , Prom—“ Ignis shook his head, realizing he was falling into the downward spiral that was conversing with Prompto. He sighed. “I’ll get back on topic and ask, did you enjoy your first kiss?”

“I mean I can’t remember most of it, but…” Prompto flushed to a cherry and looked away. Somehow the surrounding forest just seemed infinitely more interesting than Ignis at the moment. “Y-yeah, I guess you could say that.” 

“I see. Then do you see Prince Noctis as a romantic interest?” 

“ _Dude_ , he’s my friend,” Prompto gave an awkward laugh when the advisor just stared at him, not believing a single word he just said.

“Yes, and I do believe your insistence on that stand point makes the public believe that the two of you are…” Ignis hesitated. “Pardon my use of language, but everyone thinks you’re fuck buddies.”

“Um, yeah?” Prompto shrugged. “It’s been like that for years, bro. What else is new?” 

“Your lack of rebuttal makes it worse,” Ignis replied dryly. 

“Well, it could be like that if he wants to. The problem is, I think Noct cares too much. He’s… too good,” Prompto paused, and the advisor was about to pry with another question when he started again: “Look, Iggy, I’ll be honest: I can be pretty stupid—“

“Yes, I wholeheartedly agree.”

“Don’t just agree right away!” Prompto wanted to show him how deadly a _Tenebrean dessert_ could get. “ANYWAYS, I just want to be friends. _Bros_. Nothing too complicated, right?”

“I believe your definition of friendship and brotherhood strays _far_ from the norm,” Ignis tried to explain that constantly sleeping under the same sheets, cuddling at night, touching each other’s butts and enjoying making out with each other wasn’t ‘wanting to be friends’ or even ‘bros’. Comparing Prompto’s relationship with Noctis in comparison to how he treated Gladio and himself was a good start. By the time he finished, Prompto didn’t have anything more to add. 

“So then, now that’s settled,” Ignis knew that he would have to keep asking step by step questions to get to the heart of the matter. For someone who wore their heart on their sleeve, and was a poor liar in general, Prompto was surprisingly very adept at avoiding topics he didn’t want to talk about. “How did you feel about the event now that you’re no longer under the influence of magic?”

“De ja vu. Noct asked me something like that,” Prompto shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what I feel about it.” 

Ignis adjusted his glasses. “I can see now why his Highness’ mood is so sour as of late.”

“Because I said it doesn’t matter?” Prompto raised an eyebrow. “It really doesn’t? I mean if guys just absolutely HAVE to know, I do feel a bit conflicted about it.”

“If this concerns his status as Prince,” He straightened with the full force of his years of study in Lucian history. “I assure you, as a male you do not interfere with any customs. Though you will not be able to receive the status of royalty, which I presume you don’t want anyways—“

“Yeah, haha, nope,” Prompto interjected. Not the time for a lecture. “All that formality stuff’s not up my alley. Even if it does come with shiny presents. Totally not worth.” 

“Then there is no problem with pursuing a relationship. There are no current international conflicts that would absolutely require a political marriage, and in terms of bearing an heir of royal blood, there are ways around that with modern technology,” Ignis finished. “You strike me as someone understanding of his position, as well as someone whose cares for Noctis beyond mere friendship. I would think that you’d both be happy together. …Unless, you have a separate problem of your own?”

“…That’s…” Prompto crossed his arms and went quiet for a full minute. A _romantic_ relationship with Noct? If that's what he wanted, then... But that’s just… He grimaced when he realized Ignis finally succeeded in cornering him. “Ugh… I’d have to go all the way back to the beginning to explain… are you sure we have the time?”

“If it concerns the Prince, I assure you,” Ignis thought of his paycheque, and the fact that he’s paid at an hourly rate to put up with this nonsense. “I have all the time in the world.”

 

* * *

 

Empty.

That’s how his world started.

And that’s how it continued for fifteen years.

For someone who had been born in—for some _thing_ that was created in Niflheim, his first memories were of the gardens of Tenebrae. Blue-violet blossoms stemmed from hill to vale, the sea of their colour only interrupted by the white marble architecture of a palace. Whoever was commanding the ship he came in was whimsical enough to make pit stops at places that would definitely be called tourist attractions. 

“Allow me to ease your suffering,” A lady in a white coat said as she approached. 

The boy—the MT allowed it. Whatever her intentions may have been, it wasn’t his right to question it. He was always supposed to obey the people in white coats. This time was no different. 

“It is the by the will of the gods that you have found your way here,” The woman knelt down and placed both hands on his cheek, fingers brushing over his skin. Light illuminated his skin and warmed his senses. “The mind of a child still has much room to grow. There is hope for you yet.”

Something about her healing light cut through the haze that was veiling his thoughts. He suddenly seemed a little more aware of his surroundings—and himself. _0H4P-66X5._ He looked towards the sky-blue gaze of the woman he encountered. This was (probably?) his first time meeting her, but whatever gave him the information in his head knew who she was.

_Name: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret._

_Affiliation: Niflheim’s annexed territories._

_Note: Figure of authority. Oracle. Former Princess of Tenebrae._

_Do not engage._

Lunafreya seemed please to see a change in the way the boy looked at her. She was five… maybe four years older, and every bit the adult she was always meant to be. “Are you aware of the purpose of your visit?”

Purpose?

“It’s my purpose to obey those who hold authority,” X5 gave his best response with a confused tilt of his head. The way he seemed to question even his own words was proof that the Oracle’s magic had done some work. He continued, if only to assure himself more than anything. “I can’t go against orders.”

“I know what it means to have a calling,” Lunafreya spoke with the weight of the world on her shoulders. The calling of the gods have always been a burden; one that she willingly accepted for the good of all. “To have a purpose ordained by those of higher power. I understand, truly.” 

“Well, if you have a calling… maybe you should pick up your phone?” X5 suggested.

Lunafreya smiled blankly at him. “…The mind of a child still has much room to grow.”

“Why do you keep saying that?” X5 asked slowly, trying to figure out the hidden meaning. Has everything always been this confusing?

“Would that I could banish the traces of your plight,” Lunafreya said, mostly to herself. She carried herself gracefully, allowing her fingertips to gently press against the core that was his heart. “Yet you are in thrall to a new and artificial power. The light of the Oracle cannot restore that which has never been.” 

“…Okay, you lost me,” X5 looked at her strangely. Who even talks like this. “I don’t think they ever programmed whatever language you speak into me.” 

“My gift to you is a name,” the Oracle continued without missing a beat. “When you arrive in Lucis, and you’d like to be more than just a number, think of my words…”

Lunafreya paused, with the careful thought of a woman in prayer. This boy would ultimately find his way to her dear friend Noctis’ side. So she decided on a name with o’s and p’s, where each syllable was formed with the movements of a kiss.

“… _Prompto_.”

 

* * *

 

“Be a dear and hold still for me, X5,” Ardyn Izunia, Imperial Chancellor of Niflheim told him. 

Prompto wanted to run, or at least tell him off. Instead, he froze, obediently, and let the man’s hands ghost around his neck as he attached a mocking gift ribbon to the collar of his coat. They lingered for longer than they had to, and Ardyn just absolutely _loved_ to see people uncomfortable. 

“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Ardyn’s smile widened. His calloused hands felt rough and dry as they smoothed over Prompto’s cheek like he was admiring his creation. In a way, that might’ve been right. “Take a seat.”

Prompto sat. The ornate chair was plush and had more than adequate support, but it felt awkward to him. These weren’t the sort of chairs he was used to. …But what sort of chairs did he used to sit on? He couldn’t remember. 

“Not to worry,” The Chancellor assured him as he gleefully took a note of the boy’s increasing discomfort. What a creep. “You will _love_ the Prince you’re being gifted to.”

With that, Ardyn tapped away on a screen, letting the boy’s head tilt to sleep, knowing full well his last words would sound like an order.

  

* * *

Years later:

* * *

 

Prompto woke up to the dawn stretching behind the Disc of Cauthess. Exactly at 6am, like he’d wanted and not a second too late. It was his first morning in Lestaullum, and he had that empty feeling of being out of place from sleeping somewhere foreign. The only thing familiar was Noctis, using him as a pillow (as usual) yet his lips seemed to be a shade more red than normal…

Prompto nearly catapulted himself off the bed once he recalled what had happened. Right. _RIGHT_. That happened last night. He made out with his best friend. Then he seemed to upset said best friend. Then cuddled for some reason. CAW, kids, today is going to be awkward as _hell_. He slowly tried to pry himself off of his best friend with all the delicacy and discretion of a dropship full of MTs creeping in on the Regalia. (A magitek engine… it’s close!) 

“Stay here,” Noctis mumbled in his sleep, catching the blonde in the act. 

Despite wanting to do otherwise, Prompto found himself moving back to his position from before. He whined. “Come _ooooon_ , Noct! Not the best time to use me as a pillow. I wanna take a picture of the sunrise! I’ll come back right away. Can I go take a picture? Pretty pleaseeee?”

Noctis wasn’t awake enough to fall for his puppy dog eyes. “Mmmmn, just five ‘mr mins…”

Unable to go against his words, Prompto waited five whole minutes and spoke again the instant his countdown was up. Damn his super accurate timing.

“It’s been five minutes,” Prompto jabbed at his shoulder. _“Now_ can I go take a picture?” 

“…Ugh… no…” Noctis mumbled irritably, half into Prompto’s shirt.

He obeyed. The perfect lighting of the sunrise had already come and gone. He had a sinking feeling that this cycle would repeat for hours unless he straight up tossed the Prince out of the bed. But it’s not like they were in a hurry, and Prompto didn’t feel ready to really have a conversation with him without freaking out just yet. 

He still needs to have a good internal debate for about an hour or so and at least three mid-life crisis’s before that can happen.

So he slumped back into the pillows, letting himself get comfortable with Noctis’ weight on him. True to what the Prince said the night before, he really was getting a lot of nightmares. Noctis’ lips already began to tremble slightly and his eyebrows knotted themselves into an angry twist.

Prompto lifted a hand, the one that always had bracelets on, and gently rubbed soothing circles on Noctis’ forehead as if he could erase the tension. He began to play with his midnight locks, mainly out of boredom but part of him genuinely enjoyed the way they brushed through the crevices of his fingers. The Prince slowly relaxed, his features shifting to serenity, dark lashes no longer fluttering in distress. His hand that once gripped at Prompto’s clothes in some desperate call for help in the terrors of his sleep had finally let go and rested blissfully on his chest.

Prompto wondered if it was okay to enjoy this moment. The way Noctis’ breathing was in sync with his own, calm in the silence of the dawn.

He wondered if it was okay to think his Prince was beautiful.

 

* * *

 

“Now, hold on.” 

The alarmed tone of Ignis’ voice brought Prompto out of his sentimental recollections. Blue eyes perked up at him, a motion for the advisor to continue.

“Doesn’t this mean the fact you thought you were meant to be a… a _sex_ _toy_ from the very beginning was a VERY WRONG assumption based on a misinterpretation of the Chancellor’s words?” Ignis asked with a shake of his head. The ashy brown of his hair shifted to a dirty blonde when rustled in the sun. “I’ve always thought it was absolutely ludicrous for the empire to send such sultry intentions to the royal family. Especially to a _fifteen year old_ Prince.”

“Hm. Now that you mention it…” Prompto narrowed his eyes. Sultry, huh. “Uhm… yeaaahh… you got a point there. Never really thought about it.”

There are lots of ways to interpret the words ‘you will love’ and of course Prompto had to choose the worst possible one. Somehow, purpose + love just equaled exactly that in his naïve, young mind. 

“If anything,” Ignis conceded. “I’m more disappointed in myself for not having noticed such a vital piece of information. You’re unable to go against the words of any authority figure. To the letter?”

“I mean, everyone follows authority figures so I guess that’s why you haven’t noticed,” Prompto added helpfully. Conditioned servitude to the point where it became a part of his personality didn’t exactly help in bringing such a fact to light, either. He’d complain, sure. But he always went along with others in the end. “But in my case, it’s just a lot more literal. …Uh, literally.”

“I understand now why you're so hesitant," The advisor had already finished his Ebony. "It's prudent of you to put this into consideration."

“Yep. That’s because I’m supposed to love him,” Prompto averted his gaze and focused on the pebbles on the ground, tapping away at the stone with his foot. “But being obligated to be with him is like, Noct’s number one on his long list of peeves—err, number two if you count vegetables.” 

He had to take a breath in before he could continue.

“I don’t want a relationship with him _because_ he’s so important to me," Prompto said firmly. "Having him love me just feels… I dunno. Not right. Like this was all set up by Chancellor ‘Bad Touch’. Noct would say this is icky.” 

He clutched the cloth of his shirt that hid his magitek core. “And I don’t want icky things to happen to Noct.”

“Considering your mishap five years prior, there are things about this particular detail that even _you’re_ not fully aware of,” Ignis said reassuringly. “We’ll find a way around your ‘icky’ situation, yet.” 

Prompto looked up to his emerald eyes and smiled weakly. “You’re really good at this advising thing.”

“It’s what I do best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have a calling, maybe you should pick up your phone? c:  
> Ring ring
> 
> It’s the Astrals calling
> 
>  
> 
> ((PS: I’ll be on vacation so who knows when the next update will be?))  
> ((PPS: I created Prompto's Operations Manual. Feel free to take a look if you're bored enough to read a manual.))


	7. Extra #2:

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Noctis are 17. Prompto has already finished his first year of highschool, and is just about a month into their next year. Extra chapter #2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight mention of needles at some point, but considering the tone of this whole fic, I don’t think anyone should be worried about that. @_@ Also this chapter is just best friends being stupid. But like, not those two things at the same time. Give hugs, not drugs. (I am really bad at summaries ok?) #Idontevenknow  
> As usual, thanks for putting up with my bad grammar and intentional use of words out of context. I honestly have never written anything this long in my life, and its turning out longer than I expected. If there’s anything writing fanfictions have taught me, it’s that you don’t need to make sense for people to get what you mean. C: Yay. 
> 
> Also, that’s the legitimate irl result. :’D You’ll know what I mean when you see it.

There were a lot of rocky starts during the first year of highschool, but Prompto was a quick learner. He’d say some strange things from time to time, but not often enough outside of home for their classmates to take notice. Especially not with the excuse of being ‘home tutored in Niflheim, didn’t go out much’ to fill up the gaps in his memory that other students would surely come to question. By the time they moved on to their second year, you could hardly tell the difference between Prompto and any other kid in the school.

Today, Prompto said something weirder than what Noctis was accustomed to. Usually, it was questions to obvious things, mainly about the _wild_ concept of high school, or the _wilder_ details of society. But this just made no sense.

“Too bad you can’t just Moogle up answers to this assignment,” Prompto sighed as he flipped through the stapled sheet of papers he was carrying. They were making their way to their next class.

“Moogle up?” Noctis repeated, and looked at Prompto like he had a few screws loose.

“Uh, Moogle.eos? …The Empire’s _greatest search engine_?” Prompto elaborated when the Prince still didn’t seem to understand what he was talking about. “Oh yeah, you guys don’t have wifi here in Lucis, right? You still get all your news through newspapers and radios.”

“…Why fie?” came Noctis’ only response.

“You have so much to learn, young grasshopper,” Prompto patted his shoulder disappointedly. 

“Not what I want to hear you,” Noctis shot back and shoved him playfully. “Three weeks of economics class and you only asked me what a gil was yesterday. Isn’t that the Imperial form of currency?”

“Let’s not forget the only reason why I’m even in that class is by the _special request_ of his _royal highness_.” Prompto made a deal of rolling his eyes at him, then fell into an unnecessarily deep bow. He took as much art classes as possible, with ‘ _why relearn something I already know’_ as his biggest excuse to avoid anything that involved numbers and science.

“Hey! You live in my apartment,” Noctis prodded him. “Suffering through economics with me is the least you can do as thanks.”

“Well, thank you for adopting me,” Prompto said lowly, so that the people in the halls wouldn’t hear. As far as the records stated, Prompto’s ‘home address’ was actually Ignis’ house. Noctis almost thought his thanks sounded sincere until he turned to see the teasing grin plastered on his face. “My hero, Noct~”

Noctis punted him. He already knew this wouldn’t stop at sarcasm.

“Could’ve picked a better name than Argentum, though,” Prompto tried to tell him without laughing. “How did you even come up with that? Seriously, that means ‘silver-um’. Like you stuttered at silver. Um. Is that a thing? What’s Cael-um supposed to mean then? Kale the vegetable? Um?”

Noctis seemed a little flustered before he replied. “Study Lucian history and you’ll find out.”

“Or… we can make this your first Moogle experience!”

“I think I’ve experienced enough moogles from Iris.”

“Not the same dude,” Prompto already set to typing into his phone. “Trust me, your whole world will change once you learn the magic of… Oookay I don’t really get the results Noct, but I think it says you’re some kind of cancerous angel.”

… _Cancerous_?

“What,” Noctis said, offended. He rested his chin on Prompto’s shoulder to look at his phone. “That has got to be some kind of Niff joke.”

“No, really. Check it out.” Prompto stopped in the middle of the hall and leaned in closer to him to show off an unfamiliar screen.

 

“It says I’m a warrior,” Noctis said, completely skipping the parts he didn’t want to read. There were… a lot of results. He had a sneaking suspicion this was why Prompto somehow aced their classes on topics he barely knew anything about. He also felt a twinge of betrayal because _how could Prompto not have shown him this until now?_

“Angel of some cancer sign,” Prompto corrected. “You should work at the hospital and like, look for early signs of cancer or something. You’d be doing the world a great service.”

“And you know what else would’ve been a great service?” Noctis raised an eyebrow at him. “Teaching me how to ‘Moogle’ _earlier_.”

“Ha, you mad bro? I can make it up you,” Prompto assured him and slung an arm over his shoulder as they walked. “I saw something cool on our way to school today. I think you’ll like it!”

“What is it?” Noctis had to ask, because he was certain this was something Prompto spotted from an impossible distance, meaning he would’ve missed it even if he was looking.

“You’ll see,” Prompto beamed. “It’s a surprise!”

 

 

 

Prompto had disappeared during lunch to ‘prepare the surprise’, and _holy Shiva’s_ exposed _ass cheek_ was Noctis surprised. The last thing he expected was a military-grade hoverbike parked on the school rooftop waiting for him when the bell rang at the end of the day. 

“C’mon, Noct! It’ll be fun!” Prompto insisted, seeing the other’s hesitation. There goes his favourite catchphrase.

“What _is_ this even?” Noctis resigned to the blonde’s puppy dog eyes and made his way over to the ride. This was a terrible idea. Terrible, and yet he was still going along with it.

“New ride I borrowed from the Imperials!” Prompto said proudly.

“And they let you just take… hold on, why are the Imperials in Insomnia right now?” Noctis asked. He was certain that Imperial military equipment still wasn’t allowed to move freely within Insomnia, even with the treaty in effect.

“Dunno dude,” Prompto shrugged. “Pretty sure they breached protocol by bringing this baby in Insomnia first, so I’m just doing what they’re doing. Breaching protocol. Two wrongs make a right!”

“That is definitely not how it works,” Noctis said, but found himself admiring the sleek polish of the vehicle. Aside from the Imperial insignia on the side, and the red light of whatever weird energy thing all Niflheim technology ran on, the vehicle was _pure black_. He _did_ like it.

“I learn by example,” the world’s worst MT told him while waving his arms all around the bike as if it could get any shinier. “Besides, they don’t make the rules around here. What’s the royal decree, Prince of Lucis? You wanna test her?" 

Noctis asked the most important question: “How well can you ride it?”

Prompto lips curled into a grin.

 

 

 

"Ready?" Prompto asked, with the biggest grin on his face. He was already on the hover bike, his barcode exposed for once so that the machine could recognize an 'authorized user'. 

"Only because I know I can warp to safety if you mess up," Noctis replied teasingly.

"Thanks!" Prompto exclaimed with all the sarcasm a 17-year-old body could carry. "For the vote of confidence!"

Noctis gave his real answer with a tightened grip. For all he knew this bike, with its amazing lack of safety features, was meant for people who wore heavy or appropriate armour. Like MTs. Not squishy Princes. Part of him wondered if Prompto's idea of fun was to make him do sketchy activities. He swore the guy would make him pet a catoblepas or jump off a building or _something even more stupid_ one day.

There was an awkward moment of silence as Noctis practically spooned him from behind, while Prompto fiddled with the controls. The engine roared to life.

"Keep your mouth closed," Prompto warned, revving the vehicle. "Or you'll bite your tongue."

"Wha--"

Noctis nearly bit his tongue as they jolted forward, the wind picking up at his ears, and his stomach lurched as they begun to defy gravity. He felt the contraption teeter, and in that moment Noctis had never regretted anything so much in life. The front of the vehicle began to tilt upwards until he couldn’t even see the skyline in his peripherals. He swore they went past a 90 degree angle and they would turn all the way around at any moment, spin uncontrollably and land in a heaping pile of _Game Over._ Then, as quickly as Prompto had started the engine, the hover-bike came to a halt and they hung in serenity between clouds.

The Prince took a shaky breath after what seemed like forever, hitting him with a scent that was a mix of Prompto's cologne and the shampoo they shared. He hadn't even realized that he buried his face so close to the blonde's neck. Prompto didn't seem to mind, or even take notice.

"Wow.” An awed gasp escaped from Prompto. He shuffled around a bit to get his camera out. "The view is breathtaking."

Maybe it's because he sat in the back, rather than behind the wheel, but the first thing Noctis saw was Prompto in his white sweater, blending in with the clouds and merging with the sunlight. He didn't even notice Insomnia below him as he just stared for a moment, a little fixated on the warmth he clung on to contrasted with the cold air around them and the way the strands of his hair could find a place between the golden treasures of Lucis.

"You're a terrible driver," Noctis said quickly, before his thoughts became even weirder and he talked about something else that was breathtaking.

The Prince wondered if this was how the girls in their classes saw the two of them. Two incredibly attractive men (if Noctis were to believe all the fan mail he receives) specifically hanging out with _only_ each other. Was this the reason so many weird and sometimes unsettling rumours about their relationship spread? Because of the overactive imaginations of fangirls?

"You had fun and you know it," Prompto shot back, laughing.

"Yeah, I did," Noctis sighed into Prompto’s ear. He felt him shiver a little, and yeah, it was pretty chilly up in the sky. One more reason not to let go of him, and the other being he was still getting the hang of warping, and the fact that any sort of surface was at least 50 meters away wasn’t making him any more comfortable.

"That was... pretty exhilarating,” Noctis added after Prompto finished taking his photos and he managed to quiet his breath. “So… are we going to sit here and admire the view all day or what?”

“I haven’t shown you anything yet!”

“Just as long as I don’t see you crash us into Dad’s Wall.”

For the next half hour, the laughter of two teenage boys could be heard from the rooftops of Insomnia, echoing above streetlights and shining buildings. They made it a personal challenge to see how many people they could scare from their office buildings, and Noctis had taken to wearing goggles to make sure no one would recognize him. One sharp turn led to another, and pretty soon they were daring each other into stunts. 

They laughed and screamed as the wind dried the voice out of their throats but neither seemed to care. They were drunk on freedom and relished in every bit of it.

The bike whipped around another skyscraper, but instead of the empty space that should’ve been there, they met face to face with a mass of steel trusses that suddenly came into view. The grins on their faces melted immediately into panic.

“ _Noct!!_ ”

There was a moment of blinding pain and the last thing Noctis saw before the world went black was a broken hover bike, an upside down skyline and Prompto in a skydive before pulling him into his embrace.

 

 

 

When Prompto came to, he woke up in a princess-carry and a burning pain spread all across his limbs—especially his arm. He vaguely recognized his surroundings to be the Citadel’s but had no idea exactly where he was. But man, the pecs his face was resting on was _firm_. And why were his clothes damp?

“…Gladio?” Prompto mumbled, because no one could have pecs this firm but him. No one. He could barely remember what happened, but he remembered enough to know that popping a dislocated shoulder back into its place hurt like a firaga slammed into his skin. For once he was grateful that using his Magitek core for too long made it hard to remember things. All he was left with was fragmented images of broken branches, a body of water, a whole lot of open sky and not a lot of memories of actually getting injured.

 _…Open sky?_ Prompto’s eyes widened with realization.

“You finally with us?” The Shield asked gruffly.

“You shouldn’t be here with me,” Prompto gasped and did a one-handed attempt to wiggle out of his arms. Strong arms held him firmly. “You should be with Noct—I’ll be fine, but Noct, he—“ 

“You’re _not_ fine,” Gladio insisted. He looked closely at the blonde’s face and saw just how many scars and gashes lined his features. “I can see your damn bone sticking out of your arm.” 

“…I’ll be fine,” Prompto repeated, a little more hesitantly. He tried not to look at his arm because honestly? Bones sticking out of arms probably wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world. “Where’s Noct?”

“He’s fine. You’re a lot worse off than he is,” Gladio told him. “You’ll get to see him after you’re treated.”

“I’ll get to see him?” Prompto repeated.

“What, you don’t want to?”

“Honestly big guy,” Prompto began. He tried not to wince as Gladio walked. “After everything that happened today I kinda expected to—oww, easy there—to be sent back to Niflheim. O-or locked in a closet and never seen again. Or tossed in the dumpster.”

He said it all with the same carefree way of speaking he usually had that Gladio didn’t know if he was joking or not. For a long moment, neither spoke and the only noise came from the reverberation of Gladio’s heavy, but careful footsteps. The medical ward of the Citadel was a quiet zone, after all.

“I’m not sure if I should be by his side,” Prompto finally admitted.

“I already heard the story from Noct,” The Shield told him as he set him down in an examination chair. This place was typically meant for injured Kingsglaive or Crownsguard. “Trust me, kid. You’re fine.”

A moment of silence passed before Gladio muttered under his breath. “It’s that Prince’s fault for dragging you into this.”

Prompto wasn’t sure what he meant. He was very sure it was _him_ that dragged Noct into this mess. But his whole body ached so much he didn’t want to care.

 

 

 

There were things in the X-ray that the Lucian doctors didn't understand but Prompto assured them it would be fine to fix his limbs like normal. After a lot of debates about the proper procedure, and even more when the doctors set to work, they finally left Ignis with the finishing touches for Prompto's injury.

"Should've used Noct's phone instead of wasting anesthesia," Prompto said as he examined his cast. He had one on his right leg too. He was already planning on doodling on them afterwards.

"It broke in the fall," Ignis said simply as he began to prepare a vial and a syringe. "Now, I'm not sure about the specifics of how your body works, but a bit of antibiotics should do no harm. Would you be alright if I administer a shot?" 

"I'm fine with shots as long as it doesn't hurt after," Prompto told him and readied himself in his seat.

"Why would it hurt afterwards?" Ignis asked casually, but there was something in his tone that felt like more than just a question.

Prompto mirrored his puzzled glance. "I don't know."

"That's... alright," Ignis responded mysteriously and made his way over with a syringe. Prompto just blinked at his words and let the advisor do his work. He didn't even flinch as the needle slid past his pale skin and watched the fluid go down.

"You're all set," Ignis told him as he carefully placed a band-aid over the puncture. "His Highness is back in his quarters. I can take you to him for a visit if you’d like.”

Prompto nodded fervently. He was bound to a wheelchair, and with only one arm able to move, he had to let Ignis help. It was odd to see the dark halls of the Citadel once more after having moved out for so long. Nothing ever changed here; the stiff guards and the bustle that was so unlike a home were the same as always.

When they reached the royal chambers, something else seemed to hurt when he laid eyes on the damage he had done.

 

 

 

“So much for warping to safety, huh?” Noctis said lightheartedly as the blonde stepped into the room. He was propped up with a mountain of pillows in his too-wide bed in the Citadel. Several fresh bouquets of flowers were already by his side; likely delivered by the ministers and staff who had heard of his injury. Ignis left the two of them alone to talk. 

“I messed up,” was the message Prompto got from that. There sat Prince Noctis, in all his glory, crowned with a bandage over his head, thick enough to cover part of his eye and an IV drip attached to his arm. It was hard to tell from the other side of the room, but Prompto didn’t miss the outline of a bandage spread all across his chest.

“ _We_ messed up,” Noctis corrected him, sensing that the blonde was starting to get emotional. “I encouraged the whole thing.”

“…I’m sorry,” Prompto’s voice shook as he bit back tears. He didn’t think it would be _this_ difficult to stop an emotion. “I’m really sorry.” He repeated.

“Stop apologizing,” Noctis grumbled. “You wouldn’t have known the crane would move all of a sudden. Not your fault. I didn’t see it coming, either.”

“B-but, I—“ A tear slid down his cheek and an apology was still in his eyes. “It was my idea. I put you in danger. _It_ was _my fault_.”

“Prompto…” Noctis sighed. He wasn’t sure how to make the boy feel better and looked at him in search for a place to begin. Noctis realized he took too long to reply, and probably stared too harshly when tears began to fall out of violet-blue eyes. He didn’t even say anything and he made it _worse_. Gods, he sucked at this. 

“I should be protecting you, I-I um, did the opposite of that and I…” Prompto’s voice shook until it trailed off. He was too busy wiping his eyes with his sleeve to meet the Prince’s gaze. “I-I just… I thought riding with you would be fun. I didn’t…” He sniffled and pressed his lips together. “Didn’t think you’d get hurt.”

“Listen,” Noctis grumbled, ruffling his hair with irritation. He _did_ get hurt. But he was also tired and his best friend was beating himself up for saving his life. “I saw you. You broke my fall and that’s why you’re hurt more than I am. Accidents happen. There’s nothing wrong with trying to have a little fun.”

Prompto shook his head and clenched his fists. He closed his eyes. “Your safety takes priority.”

There was something mechanical in that response that made Noctis frown.

“Well, I’m safe,” Noctis replied, brushing it off. “It’s not as bad as it looks. Just a concussion and some scratches and bruises. No big deal.”

“…Yeah, almost killed the Prince,” Prompto gulped. “No big deal.”

It was better than tears, but he knew Prompto better than that to know what he was trying to hide with that joke. Noctis sighed. “Do you want to sleep here for tonight?”

“…Do you want me to?” Prompto asked cautiously, not trusting himself to make decisions at the moment.

Noctis didn’t really answer and only vaguely motioned to the bed he was already on. “You’re going to keep beating yourself up over this if you’re left alone.” 

“Well, that’s my evening plans in a nutshell,” Prompto forced a smile and struggled to get up from his wheelchair to sit next to him. He shifted with a grunt and slowly tried to make himself comfortable on the bed. “But I guess I'll let you ruin them.”

Getting close to him again that made Noctis think of that moment, when he was pressed onto Prompto’s back, and his heart began to beat as if he were still soaring in the air. Noctis just dismissed it as the remnants of adrenaline and allowed their skin to touch under the covers, like they had many nights before.

“If you’re that worried,” Noctis began, grateful he wasn’t bed bound by himself. He remembered how much it had sucked as a kid. “You could Moogle tips on how to deal with almost killing the heir to the throne and starting the next world war.” 

Prompto’s lips couldn’t help but curl upwards at the suggestion. 

“Great advice, Kale-um.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Later that evening:_  
>   
> 
> “Noct?” 
> 
> “…Yeah?”
> 
> “Thanks for not throwing me away, buddy.”
> 
> “I would never do that. Get some rest.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was meant to be 1.2k words long… it ended up being over 3k. Whoops.  
> As you can all probably tell, this story is turning out to be much longer than I expected :3

“Well, that’s one problem solved,” Gladio straightened from his crouch. He’d been inspecting a well-camouflaged scanner nestled in the crevice of a rock just a distance from where Prompto and Ignis were having their conversation. Inconspicuous, if not for its perfect edges that betrayed its natural façade.

“So…” The Shield had taken to leaning against his find. “What’s up with you and our sunshine kid?”

“What about him?” Noctis replied back, feigning all innocence. He had a feeling it would take a bit of time before the others were finished, considering the amount of flailing that might as well have been interpretive-dance movements Prompto was shooting at Ignis’ way. Whatever story Prompto was telling, it must’ve been something he’d thought of in depth with the way his emotions reached to his fingertips and expressed them with his whole being as though words weren’t enough.

Or he discovered another cuddly and cute… _something_.

Gladio took note of the way Noctis’ attention completely shifted at the mere mention of Prompto. “Did you turn him on or something?” 

“ _What_?” It took Noctis a moment to understand what he _really_ meant. “Are you seriously using puns right now? That isn’t even in context with we’re talking about.” 

“Don’t mean to grind your gears, Highness. Though I’m sure you’d like someone else to do the grinding.” 

Noctis cringed. This is why puns were Ignis’ thing, and not Gladio’s.

“Gladio. Enough,” Noctis practically ordered him to shut up, but that didn’t stop the bodyguard’s pitiful snickering. “You’re my Shield. Do me a favour and shield me from your awful jokes.” 

“These _awful jokes_ are a stupid attempt to get you to either spill what’s on your mind or forget about it,” Gladio said firmly, his shit-eating grin completely vanished from his lips. “We might have a fight ahead of us. We might not. You can’t be distracted and lose focus.”

The Prince was taken aback by the sudden change in mood, and blinked in contemplation. Gladio had a point, but he always had the weirdest ways of making them—only people who weren’t good with others themselves (like Prompto) considered Gladio ‘good with people’.

Noctis grumbled, and seated himself with his back on the rock. "Gladio, is this really the time for this?"

"If you don't wanna talk about it, then don't," Gladio offered. "But I think you'd be doing yourself a favour by talking things out."

"It's just," Noctis shook his head. “Meeting up with Ardyn reminded me of something that happened a long time ago…”

 

* * *

  

“Hey, you shouldn’t be harassing kids.”

A fifteen-year-old Prompto looked up to a toothless man with scraggly hair who had succeeded in cornering him in the beverage section of Cactu-mart. The other man who had spoken, was big and burly with a full-grown beard; he reminded Prompto of Gladio, except he didn’t have sun-kissed skin and was more like a lumberjack.

“This isn’t a kid,” the toothless one insisted. His voice was hoarse and would have been better suited for an old man despite the fact that he barely looked above the age of forty. “I know you haven’t been home to Gralea in a while, but you’ve got to recognize that tattoo.”

Prompto reflexively looked down to his hands, which were hugging onto a case of energy drinks. Those lines on his wrist were in plain sight. 

“…Seriously?” the big guy’s eyes could have passed for a scanner with the way he judged him from a set of black lines. “A Magitek unit here in Insomnia? It looks different from the usual ones. If that’s an unprogrammed unit, then…”

The two men debated whether something would be legal or not. Prompto slowly started to back away and leave them to their conversation when mister beard turned to him again.

“One way to find out. Hey,” the man nodded at Prompto. “Show us your identification.”

Prompto hesitated, regretting on insisting to roam around the store by himself in their late night snack run. Especially since he was well aware he shouldn’t even be eating anything. Damn all of these shiny and colourful packages. He decided that convenience stores were scary places and that he should’ve just tagged behind Noct as he explored the aisles. But like second nature, he held out his wrist for them.

The two men chuckled at this, and Prompto let his arm drop when it was clear they weren’t going to do anything with his code.

“Told you they wouldn’t let an unprogrammed unit leave the Keep,” the other man’s grin had holes in it. “Man, tonight’s gonna be fun. Come with us.”

“I don’t have to follow you,” Prompto said easily. There was something _weird_ about these guys. Where was Noct? The rules around Insomnia were different, he wasn’t sure what would be okay for him to do, or what he’s even supposed to do in this situation. He considered yelling out for the Prince, but remembered that one of the conditions in sneaking out at night was to hide Noctis’ identity. No yelling ‘ _Noct!’_ in a panic.

“We’re citizens of the Empire on a visit,” The man with a beard fished out a piece of paper with an emblem that Prompto recognized as a Gralean passport. “Magitek infantry was created to serve the Empire. You don’t have a reason _not_ to come with us.”

Instead of answering, he looked around for Noctis again, or a legitimate and _logical_ reason not to follow them. As far as he knew, being creeped out was neither. But maybe it was reason enough?

“I’m not going with you,” Prompto decided and took a step back, but was caught by his arm. It would be far too easy to incapacitate them both, but instincts screamed at him not to fight back.

“Wow,” The man was close enough for Prompto to smell the alcohol in his breath. He felt the hand smooth against his skin. “I was half expecting some kinda machinery. Even so, this is a lot softer than any bitch I’ve ever—“

“What are you doing?”

The voice belonged to Noctis, incognito, and holding a grocery basket full of snacks. With his loose pyjamas tucked underneath his sweater and disheveled hair under a black hat, he looked like any other fifteen year old that snuck away into the night for convenience store run.

“Minding our own business,” the man spat out his toothless response. “How about you mind you…“

His words died at his chapped lips as Prompto pulled himself free in time to stop Noctis’ fist.

“You can’t,” Prompto said firmly, holding him back.

“ _What?_ Let go of me,” Noctis growled, his arm tense under the blonde’s fingers. Prompto withdrew his hand but proceeded to stand between the men and Noctis. What the hell? What did the Empire _do_ to make a kid defend the same people who were harassing him?

“Are you seriously siding with them!?” Noctis yelled, catching the attention of one of the store’s employees. “Is it because they’re from the Empire? I heard what they said to you, they were about to—“

“No, it’s not that!” Prompto cut him off, then flinched at his actions. “I-I mean, it’ll cause trouble for Lucis if _you_ hit them _first_. What would happen to you if…? And your Dad, he--” 

“Yeah, yeah,” the toothless one agreed. “Imagine, two Imperial citizens peacefully trying to buy a smoke when some crazy Lucian kid attacks us. Then tries to steal _Imperial property_.”

The air hummed with the static charge of magic, but it went unnoticed by the older men. 

“ _Noct,_ ” Prompto tried to warn him, but he didn’t have to say anymore. Noctis knew that the moment he raised his hand this matter would involve the country—but he didn’t have to _like it_.

“We’ll press charges on assault and theft,” the Imperial said, using his build to tower over Noctis. It was funny how a full grown adult was threatening a _child_ for attempted assault. Noctis recognized it as a scare tactic. “Right after the treaty too.” 

“Funny you should mention the treaty,” Noctis drew in a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm himself. “I heard the Empire gave the royal family an interesting present.” 

“Yeah, it was probably a unit like this one,” the bearded man reached out to ruffle blonde hair, but Prompto dodged it this time. “There’s been talk of wanting to expand the Magitek market to Insomnia, but they have to get people interested in it first. Putting a Magitek unit right next to the royal family’s just a ploy to get the public interested in them.” 

“He belongs to me. That guy you keep calling a unit. You can’t take him away.”

The two men howled with laughter. “That’s funny, kid! If this really belonged to you, then you’d have to be—“

“ _Noctis Lucis Caelum_ ,” He finished for them, eyes that pulsated with blue magic glared at them from behind midnight strands of hair. As if proof, blue ether gathered in his hands to form a blade and carefully slung it on his shoulder. “Scram before I press charges on _both of you_ for 'assault and theft'. We all know this won’t work in your favour.” 

“Tch,” the older man clicked his tongue. The blade disappeared as quickly as it materialized, and the Imperial had enough sense in him to know it wasn’t just a drunken illusion. He stepped back, and grabbed onto the other man’s arm. “This isn’t worth the trouble. Have fun with your toy, _kid_.” 

The man spat as he turned, soiling the aisles.

Noctis bored holes into their backs as he watched them walked out of the store. As soon as the door’s chime rang out when it snapped shut, his shoulders slumped and he turned to the blonde. “…I’m sorry.”

Prompto blinked. “For what?”

“For saying all those things.”

“Huh? Oh. No, don’t be,” Prompto gave him a lopsided smile. “I’m just glad no one got hurt. I like being yours.” 

The last little comment blindsided Noctis and he stood there like a fish, staring at him wide-eyed with his lips parted in surprise.

“I-I mean,” Prompto was quick to continue. “These past few weeks have been so much fun! And like, not the sort of ‘fun’ I think those guys wanted to have. So… I guess I’m trying to say thanks! It was a tricky situation.” 

“Uh, yeah,” Noctis glanced away. “Anytime. Let’s… let’s just pay for these and go home, okay? And find something to cover that mark.” 

Prompto grinned, and picked up the basket Noctis had dropped. “Kay!”

 

* * *

 

“Ardyn looked at Prompto the same way those guys did,” Noctis continued. What made it worse is that Ardyn Izunia is the _Chancellor—_ a person of power within the ranks of Niflheim. Would Prompto be able to say no to him if it came down to it? “You’d be surprised how many of those Niff fuckers are in Lucis these days. I never want to set foot in Niflheim if the citizens are like that.”

“Entitled to their technology, huh?” Gladio hummed. “But I guess he’s been a bundle of mixed signals from the start.”

“He just says whatever comes to mind,” Noctis shrugged. 

“From what he’s said, his interactions with us are all he’s ever really known about making relationships with people. You ever consider that all of this is actually normal to Prompto?” Gladio raised an eyebrow at him, his scar scrunching with the movement. “Your relationship that you both call ‘just friends’?” 

“Well, I guess it’s more than that since we live in the same house,” Noctis admitted. “I thought he was like a brother before. I mean, with all the play fighting we do and hanging out…”

“Yeah, a ‘brother’ that you cuddle and whose lap is your favourite place to sleep.”

“Hey. I said _before_ —“

“I heard you crawl into his arms when you see him sprawled on your couch playing video games,” Gladio accused, sly smile creeping back into his features. “I’ve seen him touch your ass and I’ve seen you return the favour. And don’t even get me started on all those pictures of you two holding hands.” 

“We only have one couch. And that was in high school, I needed physical contact to give him magic when he wasn’t linked to it.” The Prince didn’t comment about the butt part. 

“And the fact that you’re more likely to sleep in the same bed when there’s two rooms in your apartment?” Gladio scoffed, waving away his royal excuses. “Word of advice from someone who actually has a sibling? That doesn’t happen.” 

“I stopped going into his room half a year ago,” Noctis grimaced, because he knew it was his sad attempt at adulthood and crawling into someone else’s bed because of a nightmare was the definition of a childish act. “Besides, sleeping in the same bed is a family thing to do. Everything’s just so comfortable with Prompto. Didn’t think it was too weird until we…” 

“Until what?” Gladio asked, drawing the attention away from the topic of family. It was always a sore subject whenever it concerned Noctis or Prompto.

“We… made out.”

“Finally. And?”

“And he wasn’t…” Noctis paused, searching for the right word. “ _Sober_ at the time. But when he sobered up, he asked me if I wanted to keep going, but you should’ve seen his face, Gladio. He doesn’t...” 

“You and Prompto are already a couple,” Gladio told him confidently, when it was clear that Noctis couldn’t place his thoughts into words. “But neither of you want to call it that.”

“But maybe it’s like what you said?” Noctis rubbed the back of his head, finding interest in the dirt. “Maybe this is all just normal to him and I’m the one acting weird.”

“Doesn’t have to be so complicated. Just tell him what you’re thinking. And if it’s still bugging you, you know you’re not alone; and I bet Iggy’s talking to him about this too,” Gladio hummed. The Prince still wasn’t convinced. “You know what you both need? Cup Noodles. Nothing solves problems like the ultimate flavor experience. …The perfect _cup_ for the perfect _cup_ -le.”

“…Why the fuck is Cup Noodles your solution to all this?” Noctis placed a palm on his forehead like he was desperate to keep his sanity from spilling. This is why the house of Amicitia were meant to be Shields and not advisors. “Seriously, _noodles_ , Gladio? No wonder you’re still single even though you have such a nice body.”

“ _What_.” Two voices said in unison.

The other belonged to Prompto, who had come close enough to be within earshot. Ignis trailed closely behind.

“Is Gladio your type, Noct?” A flicker of emotions the Prince couldn’t name flashed through blue eyes all at once. Prompto purposely stopped at a distance, away from the shade where he usually liked to stay. 

“No!” Noctis said quickly, finding himself standing up. “He’s not!” 

“You could’ve put some more hesitation to that.”

“Settle down, children.”

“Can we just get on with Ardyn’s request?” Noctis groaned, and continued before anyone could protest. “Prompto, there’s a scanner hidden behind that rock, maybe your code can open it?”

“Um…” Prompto peeked over to where Noctis had gestured. “I can try?”

He reached in, arms scraping through jagged edges of rock and waved his hand around the device. It was just as dubious as the man who’d sent them on this adventure.

Of course it didn’t work, not everything is _that_ convenient. Life isn’t easy. It took an hour of carefully dismantling the scanner and figuring out its programming before Prompto could manipulate it into accepting his codeprint. With a beep of confirmation, a square of grass dropped by several inches, then proceeded to slide and reveal a slim staircase barely wide enough for them to proceed one at a time.

The four of them stood at the entrance for a moment, taking in the stagnant air that was released. Unlike other Imperial bases, it lacked the vibrance of technology and rhythmic patrols. All they could see was a whole lot of darkness, and Prompto voiced the same thought that ran through their heads.

“ _Guys_. I’m curious about a lotta things, but finding out whatever’s down there is _not_ one of them,” Prompto peered into the abyss set in concrete. “It’s _dark_ and it’s _creepy_ and it’s got _trap_ written all over it!”

“You can see better in the dark than any of us here.” Noctis thought back to their time as kids, when Prompto had to wear glasses that purposely ruined his vision so he could to get used to the range of sight of normal people. Or his all too accurate gunfire booming in dark forests and even darker caves, yet he still hasn’t accidentally shot someone, even taking into consideration a warping Prince zipping around in every random direction in the middle of battle.

Prompto lips curled into a pout. “That just means I get an HD version of whatever decides to pop out and attack us!”

“We’re going down there for your sake," Gladio clapped him on the back and went ahead with Noctis. "So suck it up, buttercup."

“And _you_ , Highness,” Ignis followed behind the two, his flashlight already illuminating the depths below. “Ought to take care of your belongings so we don’t get into these situations in the first place.

“Okayyy,” The two said in unison, with their own matching irritated sigh.

The descent was spent in silence, allowing Noctis to recall another side to that memory that he’d failed to share. He’d rather take Gladio’s noodle advice than tell the others and suffer from humiliation. Because the more he thought about it in light of his conversation with Gladio, the more it seemed like an awkward attempt at placing the bonds of marriage on _Prompto_.

 

* * *

 

Noctis sat down in front of two high school registration papers. One was his own, already completed, and he was one little detail away from completing Prompto’s. He knew for a fact that Prompto didn’t have it: a surname. For a moment, he considered just picking out a common Lucian last name, but after yesterday’s events, Prompto deserved more thought into his new identity than that. Giving a meaningless name was something the Empire would do. 

Maybe he could come up with a list of things that describe Prompto? 

The phrase that immediately popped into his head was “sunshine-deprived” but it was too long and _kind of_ offensive. He felt like he was on the right track at least and added ‘ _fair’_ to the list, because of his light complexion and light coloured hair. Maybe ‘ _blonde’_ was a good word to describe him too. Or ‘ _white’_ could be a good one? And no, not in a racist sort of way, (what were you expecting?) but in the sense that he was the opposite of what the colour black stood for. Black, the colour of the royal family, entitled to the world and more, and the colour that every knee bent to serve. Prompto was born on the other end of that spectrum. 

Noctis could figure out for himself that so far, all of his ideas were about as good as a Malboro’s breath so he took out a thesaurus and looked up the words he thought of. _Auricomous_ was a good one, but it’s too hard to say and Noctis already forgot how to spell it. It was then he found a simpler word, and it came up as a synonym for fair and white: _Argent_.

That alone didn’t seem enough. He almost wanted to write ‘Lucis Caelum’ on it, since they’d be living in the same house anyways. 

Argent. Caelum.

It was selfish, and just a small portion of his name, but it meant more than that. It was a symbol that Prompto was a part of something more, that he belonged somewhere outside of Niflheim. Permanently branded without the use of ink on skin, and in a way that he won’t wake up from dreams he didn’t want to remember.

“ _Imperial property_ my ass,” Noctis muttered to himself as he decided on a combination of the two and penned in the best response he could give.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys guysssss if you read the Engine Blade description in Neir Automata they clearly state that Noctis hates sleeping alone :’D  
> IT IS CANON I KNEW IT.  
> I BET HE SECRETLY ENJOYS CAMPING FOR THIS REASON.
> 
> (How to flirt like Gladio: Send nude-les)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU still brings me joy :’)

The audible echo of their steps rang loud in the silence of the base.

“No wonder this place is abandoned,” Prompto hummed as he traced his fingers on the gray walls of the base. He was expecting some sort of Niflheim cave danker than his memes the moment they stepped underground, but the facility was surprisingly pristine, and oddly empty. The just entered from someplace suspicious. “Magitek’s all over the place here. Usually they shoot it out to the sky and it just kinda dissipates over an area, but whoever designed this place didn’t think of that. It’s piled up underground." 

“Are you going to be alright?” Ignis asked, concerned. 

“Yeah, probably,” Prompto shrugged. “I’m using Noct’s magic instead and it doesn’t mix well with the red stuff they use.” 

The four of them paused before they turned to a new corridor, carefully checking the passage through the reflection of a blade before they proceed. 

“What’s the difference between them anyways?” Noctis shot him a puzzled glance while they walked.

“The magic of the Crystal and the Empire’s knock off? Um…” Prompto thought for a moment, finding his words. “Your magic is like swimming. Feels nice, but if you struggle, you’ll drown. This one’s more like taking a shower. All drizzle-y and not as overwhelming." 

Maybe comparing the Niflheim energy known as Magitek that was likely made from something as edgy and intense as the _light of expiring souls_ to taking a shower was an understatement.

“Any preferences?” Noctis asked. “I could get the staff to order one.”

“It’s cool,” Prompto shrugged after thinking about it. “I prefer you.”

A millisecond of the most awkward silence passed between the two, only to be interrupted by the explosion of Gladio’s laughter.

“You hear that, Noct? He wants you,” Gladio’s grin was spread wide across his face, relishing in the fact that even though the two were adults, they still elbows deep into their awkward teen phase. “He says you feel nice." 

“I-I didn’t mean it that way!!” Prompto practically yelled out when he noticed the red tinge that graced Noctis’ face.

“Yes, Gladio, don’t misinterpret their words,” Ignis reprimanded him.

“Yes! Iggy’s backing me up! Thank _youuu_ , Iggy!”

“I believe the word used was _prefer_ ,” Ignis stated. “Prompto’s preference is specifically Noct. The proper term is Noctis-sexual.”

“Hey!!” Prompto shot a sapphire-eyed glare of betrayal at him. The advisor had just given him a pep-talk _literally minutes ago_. Minutes ago! Traitor.

“Guys. Could you keep it down?” Noctis groaned. He made a point of gesturing to the dim, expansive hallways they had yet to explore. “We’re supposed to be infiltrating here.”

“Because abandoned bases need so much stealth,” Gladio retorted, but obeyed his charge and shut up anyway.

The rest of the base was similar to the areas they explored before. The flickering fluorescent bulbs were as common as neatly stacked boxes, and it was a wonder that the majority of the base was still in operation. Although the facility lacked the layer of dust lining its walls and battered equipment they’d been expecting, the eerie silence was enough to suggest that no one had been here for quite some time. There wasn’t even a mouse in sight, much less any daemons.

Just a whole lot of steel, concrete and nothing.

“I can’t be the only one worried about what would happen if someone picks up Noct’s phone and plays around with that app,” Prompto broke the silence. “What if I start acting all weird? Like, coming onto Gladio or something.”

Gladio deadpans. “You mean like finding the time to take pictures of my ass in the middle of battle?”

“Um.” Okay, maybe that was more of a 'normal Prompto' thing to do. But only because he was curious. And Prompto takes a picture of every curious thing. Seriously, how was Gladio's so big compared to everyone else? It's the eighth wonder of the world. Ignis' was a little flat, maybe from sitting down too often, but there's Noct's—whose butt looked tight and firm and perfect in shape and was absolutely _something he shouldn't have allowed himself to think about_.

“Assuming his Highness has more common sense than you,” Ignis sighed, pulling Prompto away from all his internal screaming. “In which he _does_ , in picking passwords, it will be fine.”

“You say that like you know the password to my stuff…” Prompto trailed off. It’s not such a strange assumption since the future king of Lucis’ advisor had a general knowledge pretty much _everything_. Sometimes creepy. Sometimes impressive.

“Anyone who so much as glances at your wrist can hack into your accounts,” Ignis said dryly. 

“But they always ask for letters and numbers and a special character,” Prompto frowned, suddenly aware of his wrist. He shifted his leather bracelet to better cover up the numbers peeking out of its edges. “What else am I supposed to pick?” 

“Something difficult to guess,” Noctis replied, checking the interior of another room. The surveillance monitors on the screens were shut down. “That’s what passwords are for.”

Prompto was about to tell him passwords were for people who don't keep track of their things when Ignis interjected.

“While we’re on the subject of your code,” Ignis began. “Prompto, have you ever met other…”

Ignis paused, making Prompto glance back to study his expression. “Other what?”

“Other Magitek units like yourself.”

“Uh, I kinda avoid them because they creep me out,” Prompto grimaced. He hated being lumped in as _one of them_ , but it was a truth that was just as hard to deny as it was to accept. “Like, why are those masks GREEN of all things? It’s like the wicked witch in that movie. That melts in water or something. Except they melt in the sun.”

“I think he means the ones without masks,” Noctis offered helpfully. He led the way back to the hallway to continue their exploration.

“You mean dead ones?” Prompto asked.

Ignis fought back a face-palm. “Not quite. I meant—“

The familiar zip of a bullet cutting through air clipped off the strands of Gladio’s hair as he coincidentally bent down to pick up a misplaced Oracle Ascension Coin. The party turned, weapons raised, quickly enough to catch a glimpse of a lithe figure they knew too well turning around the corner. Red eyes glared at them with a gun in hand, before the male dashed out of sight.

It was an unmasked MT alright. Every one of them knew whose figure that belonged to despite the different style of blonde hair and the lack of freckles lining his skin.

Prompto gulped.

“I meant _that_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason why Niflheim bases are never underground. Imagine him as versus 13.
> 
> This chapter came out a lot later (and shorter) for multiple reasons; mainly life in general, as well as final projects being due. @_@
> 
> I might as well go right ahead as say that this will have slow updates till the end of May. D: I have final exams, I’ll be out of the country again, as well as I have some things I need to settle bc being an adult is not as fun sometimes.


End file.
